If It Passes The Time
by CrazyJaney
Summary: Drabble center. Chapter Fifty-nine. A seemingly harmless errand for a friend turns into an awfully awkward situation for Kaoru. AU. Implied KK.
1. Chapter 1: I Can't Reach

a/n: Before anyone gets excited, this is a drabble. Basically I had this idea and I didn't want to write the story to go around it, so I just got the idea down on so it wouldn't be bothering me. I plan to post more drabbles in the future, so now I have a place to put them. And I think I might actually make a real story to go with this, but for now, this is it.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

I Can't Reach

"Dammit," she muttered, "why did I have to put it there? All the way where I can't reach it..." She held the washcloth in her hands, wondering what to do. She couldn't do it by herself and asking for help was... not a good idea.

_'Well, it was my decision to put it there... but when I did it, I didn't really think I'd be in this situation,'_ she thought, washing the rest of her body first. However, that didn't take long and she was back to her original problem. She sighed and tried to reach herself, finding that she was no where near where she needed to be. It would burn if she had been.

"Oh man," she groaned, bracing herself. "Kenshin?" she called.

"Kaoru?" he answered, opening the door and coming in. "What is it?"

"I need help," she told him through the shower door.

"With what? Have you never taken a shower before? I recommend washing your hair first," he replied.

"Ha ha, very funny. I can't reach my tattoo," she corrected. "And it has to get washed; it's been two days."

"Oh, for cripes sake..."

"Kenshin, please? I don't want to ruin it," she pleaded. "Do you really think I'd be asking you if I had any other choice?"

"Point taken," he conceded, opening the shower door abruptly.

She shrieked and turned away from his prying eyes. "A little warning next time, please!"

"How was I supposed to know you weren't ready?! You asked me to wash it and I agreed, so here I am!" he defended, blushing. He'd only had a glimpse, but it was enough to make him want to see more.

She thrust the washcloth at him without turning around. "Here, just do it. Carefully, okay?" She pulled her hair over her shoulder so it would be out of the way.

"I got it," he told her, taking the cloth and squeezing some of the water over her shoulder blades.

His eyes followed the movement of his hands as they worked over her skin. The tattoo was all dark outline work that contrasted with the paleness of her skin. As he moved the cloth over her skin, he couldn't help but notice just how smooth her skin was. He fought the urge to run his bare hands all over her back and then follow the path with his lips.

He shook himself a little as he realized where his thoughts had been going. This was his enemy! His rival! He shouldn't be having vivid fantasies about her. He scowled and finished his task more gently than he would have liked.

"There. All done. Anything else, you highness, before I leave?" he demanded, dropping the washcloth on the floor of the tub.

She shot him a confused look over her shoulder. Her eyes were narrowed as she looked at him. She was curious as to his sudden change. She had been enjoying the feel of his hands, even covered in the washcloth, as they glided around her shoulder blades.

Not that she would ever admit that to him. "No, that's it," she finally answered, turning her face away again. She heard the shower door shut and heard him open the door to the bathroom on his way out. "Kenshin?"

"I thought you said you didn't need anything else?"

"I don't. Just... I... Thanks," she told him, flushing.

"Your welcome," he said.

And then he slammed the door shut.

a/n: Once again, all comments are appreciated...


	2. Chapter 2: Surprise

a/n: Another drabble! This one is also an AU setting; think after college type of thing.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Surprise

Kaoru stared at the little stick in utter disbelief. It simply wasn't possible. She didn't care how "error proof" it was. She sat down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

"Kaoru?"

"...I'm pregnant."

There was a pause. "Is it mine?"

She threw the pillow at her friend sitting across from her in the chair. "That's not even remotely funny, Misao!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to prepare you for Kenshin's reaction." Misao shrugged. "I hope you don't throw a pillow at him when he asks the same thing."

"Why do you think he'll ask? It's not like I've been sleeping around!!" she defended.

"Yeah, but you guys aren't really _dating,_" she reminded her.

"I know. But we agreed to tell each other if we were seeing other people and stop, you know..."

"Fucking?"

"Misao!" she shrieked, reaching for the pillow again. "Did you really have to put it so crudely?!"

"Well it's not like you were going to come out and say it!" she pointed out.

Kaoru sighed. "Misao, what am I going to do?"

"Well you have to tell Kenshin, for starters," she recommended, patting her on the knee. "I'm sure he'll be happy about the baby."

"What about me, though? _I'm _not ready for a baby!"

"Sure you are. You went to those birthing classes with Megumi last year," she reminded her.

She shook her head while rolling her eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm prepared to have a baby in my life. Besides, I only went because she didn't want to go alone and Sano was pulling double shifts at the bar to help their finance issues."

Misao sighed. "You should be talking about this with Kenshin, not me. He'll probably have better advice. Especially since he's the father."

Kaoru dropped her head and moaned. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him!"

"Just do it like you told me!"

"Because that'll work," she muttered, flopping backwards and pulled the earlier abused pillow to her face.

"Smothering yourself won't help your situation!"

Sometimes, she just wished that Misao would disappear.

------------------------

Kenshin pulled the door to Kaoru's apartment open and called out her name. He was worried. She had left a message on his phone saying that she needed to talk to him. It was out of character. Normally she would just wait till they saw each other.

"Hey! Himura!"

"Ah, Misao-dono," he greeted. "Where's Kaoru?"

"Bedroom," she answered, following him as he started in that direction.

"Thank you," he replied.

He reached the closed door of Kaoru's bedroom and gently knocked before opening it. Kaoru was laying on the bed facing away from the door.

"Kaoru?"

_'Oh dear,' _Kaoru thought, rolling over. _'I guess sooner is better than later.'_

Misao darted in front of Kenshin and jumped on the bed. She hugged Kaoru and bounced up and down a few times before saying, "C'mon, Kaoru! Don't leave the man hanging in suspense!"

"You know, you have this horrible habit of wrecking any kind of atmosphere in a room," Kaoru told her.

"I know! It's a gift." She shrugged and smiled widely, pulling Kaoru into a sitting position by the arm. "Himura, you might want to sit down."

"What?"

"Sit," Kaoru said, gesturing to the chair Misao had been occupying earlier.

"You're gonna be happy you did!"

"Tell me again why you felt it necessary to inflict your presence on us at this particular moment in time?" she demanded, tugging her arm out of Misao's hand.

"You need moral support!"

"Then how about giving me some instead of giving the commentary!" she hissed.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin prompted, from his seat.

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "This is hard. I don't really know where to start..."

Misao had both hands on her mouth, trying to hold the secret in, but when it took Kaoru more than five seconds to spill, she was ready to explode.

"I guess, maybe-"

"She's pregnant!!" Misao burst out, jumping onto the floor.

"MISAO!!"

"I couldn't help it! You were dancing around the issue! Besides, this way was much faster and he got the same information!" she tried to convince her.

She let out a noise of frustration before looking at Kenshin. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open. Her heart fluttered in terror. She'd already gone over all the possibilities in her head and the one that scared her the most was, "What if Kenshin doesn't want the baby?"

"Kenshin?" she asked in a small voice.

"I-I don't know what to say..."

"I know we aren't really in a "relationship," but-"

"What?"

"Us," she repeated. "Our situation. I know that what we were doing was-"

"Kaoru, we what did you think was going on between us?"

She looked taken aback. "We had a friends-with-benefits kind of deal going on. Remember? Your idea?"

"Oh boy..." Misao said. "I think that's my cue to leave..."

"Kaoru, that may be how it started, but I've had a serious interest in you for the last six months," he tried to clarify. "That's why I've been taking you out on dates and-"

"Wait! Those were _dates_?" she said. "It would have been nice if you told me!"

"I tried, but you never hinted that you wanted anything more than sex and I didn't want to push you before you were ready."

"Well, apparently I've been pushed into a little more than I expected to be pushed into!"

"You're not in it alone," he told her, standing up and crossing the short distance to sit down next to her.

"So you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know," she admitted, tearing up a bit. "I didn't think you wanted a baby."

"It may be happening a little faster than I had anticipated, but I always wanted to have a family with you," he told her, brushing her hair out of her eyes and placing a tender kiss on her cheek. "I'm happy."

"Really?"

"Really," he affirmed, his lips drifting lower.

"Mou," she murmured, pushing him away. "That's what got us into this mess."

"'This,'" he started, "is not a mess. It's beautiful. Just like you."

"Flatterer," she accused, but didn't push him away when he leaned in to kiss her this time.

Maybe things wouldn't be so horrible after all.

a/n: Please drop a review!


	3. Chapter 3: Morning Mouth

a/n: This one is really short. But fluffy lol enjoy and as always, please leave a review! They are very much appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Morning Mouth

Kamiya Kaoru gave a tiny mewl as she stretched in the large bed. She didn't want to move. Her body was totally relaxed and was refusing to wake up. However, there was a very persistent force insisting that she wake up and wake up fast.

She swatted at the force and smiled slightly. She felt its answering smile against her shoulder.

"Mmm," she mumbled rolling over.

"Wake up, koishii."

"Don't want to," she replied sleepily.

He was pouting. She could tell from the way his lips shifted on her skin. She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair after a bit of search through touch to find it. He picked up her other hand and nibbled on the ends of her fingers.

"Kenshin," she chided, slowly opening her eyes. "Don't do that."

"Why not?" He shifted his attention down from her fingertips to her palm.

"Because," she said, giggling and pulling both her hands away.

"You cheat," he protested, leaning in towards her face.

"Noooo," she said, lifting her hands to block his mouth.

"Wharmph?"

"Kenshin, you can't kiss me when I first wake up!" she exclaimed, refusing to remove her hands. "I know there's no way it tastes good! I have the worst morning mouth on the face of this planet no matter how many times I brush my teeth before bed!"

He sighed and flopped backward, gesturing towards the bathroom. She smiled and sprung out of bed after placing a quick kiss on his cheek. She bounded into the bathroom and made a hasty grab for her toothbrush and the toothpaste.

After an agonizingly long five minutes of brushing to make sure that her breath was minty fresh, she headed back into the bedroom and was about to bounce on the bed when she found Kenshin lying on his side looking very much asleep.

She really couldn't find it in her to be mad, though, with how cute he looked while he was asleep.

"Mou!" she muttered, crawling in next to him. "I guess that solves that problem."

Owari

a/n: Reviews are greatly appreciated! : )


	4. Chapter 4: Defying Duty

a/n: This one is by far, my favorite of the drabbles I've created. It's based a dream I had and it just fit so perfectly... So here it is! Read it through and lemme know what you think! As always, reviews are cherished and appreciated. Not to mention motivating.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Defying Duty

She was going to scream if she didn't find him. That much she was sure of. She just couldn't do it anymore. She didn't dare think of what her mother's opinion on the matter might be. As it was, she was fairly certain her mother would do something horrible to her if she found out exactly why she had left her own engagement dinner.

The thought caused her to shudder and give a sniffle. She had been crying on and off for the last two days and as she thought about her goal her tears flowed faster. She had to find him. He was usually floating around somewhere near the gardens...

That was when she heard it. Someone was playing the piano. She almost laughed. Of course! The only thing he loved more than the gardens was the vast music room where everything echoed, making it sound that much more beautiful.

Her pace increased as she grew closer to the door until she was practically running. She burst through the door to find him seated at the piano, just like she'd thought he would be. A sob of pure relief escaped her and he turned his head.

"Kaoru?"

She couldn't answer. Instead she forced herself to walk a sedate pace over to the bench and sit down next to him before she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She couldn't talk; not when her tears were choking her.

After a few seconds, his arms came around her and he mumbled soothing things as his hands slowly started rubbing up and down her back. He pressed a soft kiss to her hair line as she began to calm down. Even though her sobs were dying down, her fingers remained tightly entangled in the material of his shirt.

"Kaoru?" he asked again.

She shook her head against his chest and held him tighter.

"Kao-chan!" They both turned to look at the perky voice that had intruded.

"Misao," Kaoru managed. "Can you-"

"Need a minute?" she asked understandingly, smiling sadly.

"Yes."

"I'll stall for you," she promised with a wink as she bounced out of the room saying, "She's not in the music room!"

Kaoru sighed and pulled herself away from him with great effort. "Kenshin-"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he assured, reluctantly releasing her.

"I want to, though," she returned, standing up.

He followed suit, staring at her the entire time. She gave him a weak smile before turning into him again. She needed to lean on him, on his strength, if she was going to tell him.

He shook his head with a small smile and gathered her into his arms for the second time as she laid her cheek against his shoulder.

"I can't," she whispered desperately, clinging to him. "I just can't."

"You can't what?" he asked softly, his arms tightening around her in response.

"I can't do it," she tried to elaborate. "I can't marry, Enishi."

"Kaoru-" He started to pull away, but she wouldn't let him.

"Kenshin, I can't do it! I don't love him-"

"And what would Her Highness have to say about that?"

"I don't care," she muttered, lifting her head off his shoulder to meet his questioning eyes. "I can't keep lying to myself the way I have been."

"Kaoru, what are you trying to say? You're talking in half formed sentences that make no sense on their own," he informed her.

"Kenshin, there's only one man I'm interested in marrying," she told him, her arms moving up to twine around his neck.

He sighed and started to shake his head, "Your mother-"

"I don't care! Kenshin, don't you see? I-"

"Kaoru, please think for a moment," he pleaded. "What would your mother, _Her Highness_," he emphasized, "have to say if she found out you were stealing moments with a common escort like me?"

"I told you, I don't care," she reaffirmed, tilting her head into that stubborn pose he knew only too well. She wore it every time she walked into a ball room, expecting a fight. "Don't you see?" she started to say, pushing him back with gentle hands until his back hit the wall. "You're the only one I want."

And with that her lips covered his. The inexperience in the way she pressed her lips to his was evident, but he didn't care. His arms steeled around her waist, pressing her closer to him so that they were flush against each other. Her fingers had moved up from his neck to tangle in his hair, holding him so that he couldn't escape; not that he'd want to.

Her shy tongue slid out to touch his lips, trying to find a way to increase this experience, make it better. He smiled knowingly and opened his mouth for her exploration. At first, she was unsure how to proceed, but he was patient and her tongue eased its way into his mouth and brushed against his tongue. It only took her a second to decide that she rather liked this and began to improvise without worrying that she was doing something wrong.

His hands were gripping her hips tightly in an effort not to lose control. This was her first kiss and if she wanted to hold the reins, he was going to let her; even if it killed him. So he followed her movements. It was all he could do until she drew his tongue into her mouth before she sucked on it experimentally. His mind flashed briefly white and he knew he had to end it.

He carefully pulled away, panting. She was in much the same condition, but she was still trying to tug his face back to hers. He laughed and shook his head, choosing to hug her instead.

"Not today, little one," he said. "You tempt me so."

"Mmm," she responded, pressing a gentle kiss to the skin of his neck. "Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"I love you," she murmured, holding him tightly.

He smiled and said the words back, easing her head up so he could look at her.

And then _he_ kissed _her_.

Owari

a/n: I'm undecided if I'm going to make it into a full fic. I just might. Anyhoo, leave a comment, please, telling me what you think. If you have an opinion as to making it a full blown fic with background and all that fancy stuff that's associated with a plot, express it via review! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5: Beautiful

a/n: A canon fanfic! It's been a long time since I wrote one of these, but I felt like it was high time to return to what I fell in love with! Anyway, it's a little random, but it fits at any rate. Anyhoo, reviews are appreciated and highly motivating!

I'd like to thank Cat for cutting through my moment of stupidity and pointing out the obvious and giving me a title! Thanks a ton!

Warning: Kaoru is a little bit OOC in this one. Just to let you know.

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. RK!

Beautiful

Sometimes, you just need to be told you're beautiful.

Unfortunately, when you live in a house full of inconsiderate free loaders, it doesn't happen that often. Quite the opposite, actually. If I had a yen for every time someone called me ugly... I grit my teeth and shook my head.

"No, that's wrong, Yahiko," I told him as I continued to shake my head.

"Then let's see you do it, ugly!" Case and point.

I whacked him over the head with my bokken. "Now watch when I do it this time!!"

He rubbed his head, but obeyed, nonetheless. About damn time. I ran through the kata for the fourth time that day, annotating it for him this time. He was attentive for the first time all afternoon. It irritated me that it took this long.

"Now, try again," I ordered when I'd finished.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. When he did it this time, he did it right. I smiled. He could be taught after all.

"Good, Yahiko, good. You can take a break now and then come back and do five hundred swings," I said, slinging my bokken onto my shoulder.

"Whaaat?! I did it right! Why do I have to do five hundred swings?"

"Because if you had been paying attention the first three times I demonstrated it, you would have probably done it right the first time," I informed him.

"God, why are you so hell bent on making my life miserable, you ugly hag!?"

Why that little... So ungrateful! Who took him in? Who fed him? Who taught him for _free?_ I took a deep breath and held it for ten seconds before replying very carefully.

"Yahiko, I'm not trying to make your life miserable. I'm trying to make you understand your mistakes. Repetition is the best kind of training there is. If you don't like it, quit." That said, I turned and walked away.

Was it too much to ask that he showed a little appreciation for all I did for him? I mean, really. I don't expect him to praise my being or anything and I certainly wouldn't want him to change too much, but I was getting really sick of being called ugly on a daily basis. As much as I knew it wasn't true, it still hit a nerve.

I was female. Every woman has insecurities about themselves. It's not like I'd ever had any kind of male attention before. I had no reason to believe I was beautiful except my own reassurances. Besides, I didn't act at all like a lady. I practiced swordsmanship, for cripes sake.

I shook my head again and headed towards the kitchen to see if Kenshin had started dinner. I was just about to round the corner when I heard Yahiko and Sano talking. I decided to wait it out. If the kid was going to bitch, it would be better to just let him get it out of his system.

"...and then she told me if I didn't like it, I should quit. It's her way or no way. She's such a slave driver!"

"Look, kid, I think you're going too hard on her-" Sano tried to say, but was interrupted.

"Too hard on _her?_ What about me? She beats up on me every day!"

"She beats up on all of us," Sano corrected.

"I don't know why she does it. She's never going to catch a husband that way," he said, changing tactics. "Ne, Kenshin?"

So Kenshin was there! And that stupid rurouni hadn't said anything in my defense! Really, I had thought he was different.

"It's not sessha's place to say, Yahiko-kun."

Neutral as always.

"Come on! She has no redeeming qualities. She can't cook, she can't sew, she's not pretty, and she teaches kenjutsu. What kind of man wants a woman like that?"

Silence.

That was answer enough. I decided I didn't really care if Kenshin had started dinner or not. I had lost my appetite. I headed towards the bath house, intent on cleaning myself up. I was sweaty and gross. It just made me feel worse about myself.

The bath was cold since I hadn't had Kenshin heat it for me. That was fine. It was a hot afternoon and I just wanted to cool down and get clean. I stripped down till I was naked before sitting on the small stool and reaching for a rinse bucket. I dumped the cool water over my head and gave a small sigh.

I picked up the soap and lathered in my hands for a few seconds before working it into my hair. As I scrubbed, I thought about what I had heard. Maybe I was all the things that a man would never want, but at least I was honest. I didn't lie about who I was. If a man ever did come knocking, he'd know exactly what he was getting into.

Of course, the only man I wanted already knew what he would be getting himself into. And maybe that's why he'd been silent every time I tried to broach the subject. He didn't want to hurt me. Well, I was getting sick of it. Sick of the dance we did around each other. It was ridiculous.

I was leaning towards he didn't love me, to be honest. Especially since he didn't really have anything to say while Yahiko was bashing me in the kitchen. My bad, he did say something. A neutral, emotionless sentence that had no bearing on the conversation at all.

I pulled my hands out of my hair and reached for the other rinse bucket again, dumping it over my head once again. I quickly soaped my body after I'd gotten all the suds out of my hair, wanting to get into the tub. It was where I did my best thinking. Well, my most productive thinking. Pointless thinking I did in bed.

Once I had all the preliminary stuff done, I sank into the chilly water. It wasn't as refreshing as I'd hoped. Instead it kind of sucked. It was cold and I wasn't anywhere near as hot as I had been before. Stupid cleaning rituals.

I sighed and sank into the water anyway. I hadn't bothered to pull my hair up into a towel. It was already wet from the washing so what was a little more water?

I spread my fingers across the top of the water and gave another sigh. Did Kenshin agree with what Yahiko had said? I know the kid didn't mean it... but still. Come on. No one likes to be disrespected and dragged through shit.

My reflection was messy in the water. I looked at it anyway. My bangs clung to my forehead and other stray pieces were stuck to my cheeks. My eyes were clear and my skin still held a tint of red from my exertions. I saw what I always saw. Kaoru.

"God," I whispered. "What's wrong with me?"

Aside from the obvious? I just didn't know.

My musings were cut short by the sound of the outer door being opened. I started to rise and made a grab for the towel sitting next to the tub. I had just secured it around myself when Kenshin walked in, shock written all over his face.

"K-Kaoru-dono! Why-what-you-bath-"

"Yes, Kenshin, I was in the bath. I was in there because I needed a bath," I explained calmly. "Does that answer you're questions?"

He looked confused. "But sessha didn't heat the water!" It was like the thought had just occurred to him.

"It's okay," I assured, walking past him into the outer room, patting him on the shoulder on my way. "I didn't ask."

"But sessha always heats your bath," he said quietly.

I looked back at him. "Look, Kenshin, if I had wanted a hot bath, I would have asked you to heat it or done it myself. I'm a big girl."

"But sessha-"

"Kenshin, do me a favor and shut up, okay?" I was getting sick of the 'sessha' shit. I was still annoyed and hurt. He wasn't helping.

Like I said earlier, sometimes you just needed to hear that you're beautiful. But if I expected Kenshin to burst into poetry about how my eyes matched the night sky, I was deluding myself.

"Kaoru-dono?"

I closed my eyes and slammed the door connected the bathhouse and the outer room shut in his face. That stupid -dono!! If it's not 'sessha' this or 'sessha' that, it's 'Kaoru-dono' this and 'Kaoru-dono' that. To reiterate; I was _sick _ of it.

"Men!" I muttered vehemently. I tugged a clean yukata on over my wet body as fast as I could. Was it so hard for him to just _let go_ every once in a while? Really? I mean, the only time he ever talked like a normal person was when someone was in danger.

I realized that I probably wasn't being fair, but I was beyond caring. I heard him knock on the connecting door, careful of my modesty if nothing else. I flung open the door for him.

"Kaoru-dono," I clenched my teeth, but allowed him to continue without interruption, "I'm sorry."

I eyed him carefully before giving up all together. "It's okay, Kenshin," I told him. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But you're not happy." Like that explained it.

"Forget it, Kenshin," I said, turning away from him and out of the bathhouse.

At least that's what I had intended to do. Kenshin grabbed my arm and tugged me back. I gave him a look that clearly said, 'what?' and he sighed before pulling me into his arms.

"I'm sorry that Yahiko said what he did," he finally clarified. I stiffened in his arms. How had he... But then it was obvious. Kenshin used to be the Battousai. A little ki sensing was nothing for him.

"If you knew I was there why didn't you shut the kid up?" I demanded sourly, pounding on his chest softly.

He chuckled. "He needed to vent. And I figured you realized he didn't mean it," he explained.

I stopped hitting him. He was right. I knew that Yahiko didn't mean half of what he said. It didn't mean it didn't hurt, though. I gazed up at Kenshin.

"I know he's not serious, but sometimes..."

His fingers tugged my chin forward so our eyes met. "Kaoru," he paused for a moment, "you are none of the things he said you are. You are a beautiful, strong, willful young woman and I wouldn't want you any other way."

He hadn't tacked the horrible honorific onto my name and he'd gone more than two sentences without his formal speech. I thought I might faint. If that wasn't enough to make me faint, then surely the compliments were.

He'd called me beautiful.

I felt a smile creep up my face and I had to fight to keep the tears from welling up, but I managed. I didn't need to look like a crybaby in front of Kenshin.

"Ano... Arigatou, Kenshin," I said, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a hug. He let out an 'oro' but hugged back nonetheless.

We pulled away after a few moments, but he didn't let go of me. He was looking at me with the weirdest expression... And then he leaned in and kissed me. Just like that. I'd waited for... how long? It didn't matter. Time melted away and I felt myself fall into the kiss.

His lips felt like heaven against mine and before too long I felt his tongue press tentatively against my lips, asking permission. As if I could ever deny him. I opened my mouth for him and let his tongue caress mine gently.

Somehow my fingers hand managed to find his hair the way they had dreamed of doing forever. Even when he broke the kiss they refused to edge out of his hair. We were both breathing harder than normal and I was staring at him with something close to wonder dancing in my eyes.

Who knew such a crappy day could turn out to yield the one thing I had wanted most? I felt my lips crack into a wide smile before I could help it. Kenshin's followed suit until we were smiling at each other like idiots.

I leaned my head on his chest and whispered what I'd always wanted to tell him, but had been too scared to. "I love you, Kenshin."

His arms tightened around me and for a moment I panicked when he didn't say anything. "I love you, too," he finally replied, resting his head on top of my own.

It was nice to feel beautiful.

a/n: As always, lemme know what you think by dropping me a review! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6: Reaction

a/n: I've been thinking about doing this one for a loooong time and here it is! It's really short, but I don't think it needs to be long to get the emotion through, though. Anyway, this is Kenshin's reaction to seeing Kaoru show up in Kyoto. As always, your thoughts are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Reaction

"Kaoru... dono...?"

_'What is she doing here?' _It was my first thought, followed swiftly by, _'God, how I've missed her. She looks...'_

She licked her lips and my eyes followed the movement, wanting nothing more than to follow that tongue back into her mouth. I blinked. Where had that come from? This was my Kaoru-dono. My very innocent, very virginal Kaoru-dono. I wanted to shake my head, but was so very afraid to look away, afraid she might disappear.

But she didn't. And at first I was glad, but then... _'She shouldn't be here! She is going to get herself killed and then... what would I do? She's become my whole life.' _The idea was not a new one. I had known for quite a while that my life was wrapped around hers.

I don't think she realized it, but it didn't make it any less true.

"Someone you know?" _'More than that,' _I thought, nodding.

"Yes," was all I managed.

I needed to talk to her alone. I had to tell her that it wasn't safe for her here and I needed her to go back to Tokyo, where I knew she would be safe. Didn't she see that I'd be so worried about her if she was here that I wouldn't be able to anything? Shishio wouldn't even have to try.

I finally looked away from her after silently promising that we would exchange _words _on this subject later, away from my Shishou's prying ears.

It wouldn't be a pretty conversation, but maybe she would understand how much she meant to me after.

a/n: Please leave a review! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7: Impossible: A Fateful Meeting

a/n: Here's the next drabble. It's a clip from a fic I'm currently working on; Impossible. Short summary: Kaoru is a courtesan trying to pull herself out of the hole she's in and Kenshin's looking for a bride. Too bad courtesan's aren't really considered bride material. This is their meeting from my story!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Impossible: A Fateful Meeting

Kaoru rolled her neck in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. Her hair was heavy on the top of her head, but she knew that she couldn't do anything about it. The party had only just begun, after all, and Yumi-sama would be cross if she disappeared so early into the festivities. Besides, there was only one grand courtesan party every year. And this was the very first she'd ever been to.

Yumi-sama wanted it to be special for her. She was hoping that Kaoru would finally choose a beau to grace her attentions with. However, Kaoru had been carousing the party leisurely, talking with all her usual suitors for the better part of an hour and still no one had caught her attention nor proved himself especially worthy of being with her.

She wondered if another would ever be able to give her what she desired. Enishi had seemed so perfect... She shook her head. It was done. Over. She wasn't going to think of the bastard anymore. He had ruined her and she had gotten smart at last. She was taking control of the life he had taken away from her. She was living again at last.

"Kamiya-san?"

She cocked her head in the direction of the voice. She hadn't heard it before. Standing before her was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. His fiery red hair was worn unfashionably long for someone who looked as rich as he did. He had amethyst eyes that were taking her in even as her own sapphire eyes were devouring his appearance. She contained her amusement and flashed him a coy smile; a courtesan's most useful tool.

"Yes?" she answered, flicking her fan in front of her face. "I don't think I recognize you. Are you a _friend _of Yumi-sama's?"

"Ah, no." He flushed.

She laughed softly. "No need to be embarrassed. Is this your first party?" she inquired. He nodded and she dipped her head until her mouth was next to his ear. "Mine, too," she confided, her lips brushing against his ear with every word.

He gulped. Lord. He had known that she was the most desired and talked about courtesan at the moment, but he hadn't imagined that she'd be so damn alluring. No wonder she was the subject of almost all the bets being placed at White's.

She pulled away abruptly and gave him another dazzling smile. "Something the matter?"

"Of course not," he replied, straightening his cravat. "Just wondering what a woman like you is doing here. In a place like this."

Her eyebrows arched and she restrained herself from ranting. Goddamn Enishi. "Haven't you heard?"

"Heard?" he echoed, entranced.

She nodded, closing her eyes briefly. He was fun to talk with. "I'm a courtesan," she whispered, as if it was a great secret. "I live to give pleasure to others. That's why I'm here."

"Is that so?" His eyes flashed dangerously. How easy it would be to let this woman take hold of him...

"Yes," she repeated. "Now, since it is clear that you know who I am, may I inquire as to your name?"

"Ah, yes, how rude of me." He bowed, but kept his eyes locked on hers throughout. "My name is Himura Kenshin, Earl of Learsan."

She hide her surprise. A man rumored to be a paragon hardly belonged at the home of a courtesan. It was most unusual, but she couldn't say she was at all disappointed.

"My, my, my. And what would a man such as yourself be doing at a place like this?" she asked, turning his words on him.

"Haven't you heard?" he returned, grinning. "I'm a rogue. I live to take pleasure from others. That's why I'm here."

She laughed. "Is that so?"

"No," he corrected. "I just thought it would be fitting to say so," he told her. "Considering the circumstances."

"Of course."

"The real reason I'm here is..."

"Yes?"

"I'm looking for someone."

a/n: As always, comments are appreciated. Lemme know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 8: Roulette

a/n: This is totally random. It was a passing thought I had one day and had to get it out, so here it is! As always, lemme know what you guys think! I also want to let you know that I'm making major progress on Impossible and I'm working on editing the first chapter in order to get it up!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Roulette

"We have to play a game, love."

I shuddered. His voice was rich and velvety. It rubbed against my skin like an intimate caress, but I knew it was anything but in this moment. His smile was deadly and his hand was sure on the gun. The revolver. I could feel the sweat on my forehead even though it was cool in the room.

I closed my eyes and nodded. "Yes."

"One shot," he began, circling me with sweeping strides.

I nodded again, clenching my hands against my worn jeans. My heart was thudding in my chest. There was a chance I wouldn't leave this room tonight. There was a chance I wouldn't see anyone but him before I died. I didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.

I opened my eyes. "I-I'm terrified, to be honest," I said honestly, managing a quivering smile.

His own smile widened. "I was, too," he confessed, spinning the barrel. "The odds are in your favor, though."

"I know. Sixteen point sixty-seven percent," I whispered. He knew what I meant. I knew he would. He'd undergone the same test.

He nodded, fingering the gun. I gulped. He was getting anxious. I knew he wanted to get it over with. I did too. Another part of me wanted to beg, though. Beg for my life. _Please_, I would say. _You know me better than anyone. I don't want you to see me die. Let's forget this. Let's escape together. _

It was too late for that though. We would never get out alive if we tried that. We were in too deep. It was time to pass or fail my initiation. My test. I was not going anywhere. Maybe not ever again.

There were tears building in my eyes, but I blinked them away and met his amber eyes with my blue ones. "Pull it."

"Close your eyes," he ordered. "It helps."

I obeyed.

I heard him position the gun against my head and ask another question. "Have you said the proper prayers?"

"Yes," I affirmed. "Yes." He had been the one I prayed for. His name became part of a mantra in my head. _Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin... Love you, love you, love you... Don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me..._

"Good." The gun shifted a little more firmly against my temple. "I love you, Kaoru," he murmured.

And then he pulled the trigger.

Owari

a/n: Please leave a comment!


	9. Chapter 9: Welcome

a/n: Only because people begged. I had no intention of continuing it (especially if I had no idea what to continue with), but then I got a stupid little idea and this is what resulted. I hope it satisfies everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Welcome

It clicked. Nothing dramatic. _Yeah, right_. I'd never heard a more dramatic sound in my life. Not only was it dramatic, it was... relieving. I was still alive. I was going to live. I'd passed my test. My initiation.

I sobbed and my knees buckled. He caught me and I clung to him. My hands fisted in the stiff material of his business suit and I heard the gun clatter to the floor. His arms came around me and held me to him, murmuring soothing words.

"It's all right," he told me as I tried to get a hold of my emotions.

I took a deep breath and nodded against his shoulder. It was over. There was no reason to be sad. I'd proven myself. I'd proven my ability to be lucky. Whatever that meant to the organization.

I started to pull away and felt him shake his head above me and tuck me against him closer. "Not yet," he explained, his arms tightening around me.

So I let myself be held. I almost laughed. Now he was the one who needed comfort. I was willing to give it. I held him tighter in return and sighed happily. This was where I wanted to stay, always. In his arms.

After a moment, he drew away and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were bright with some unnamed emotion. I knew mine were burning with my love for him. I couldn't hide it. He brushed my bangs out of my eyes only to have them fall right back in place. He shook his head and a small smile played on his lips.

"You've passed your initiation," he said at length.

I smiled back and nodded. "Yes."

His smile grew dangerous. "Welcome to the organization."

And then his lips crashed on mine. It was a wonderful sort of welcome.

Owari

a/n: Review, please!


	10. Chapter 10: Misery

a/n: Another canon piece! It's sad because it suits my mood as of late. But I promise something happy and Christmas-y for the upcoming holiday! Anyway, lemme know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Misery

I was drowning. It was cruel. There was plenty of air available to me, but I was unable to pull any of it into my empty lungs. I'd never felt anything like it before. And there wasn't even a drop of water in sight.

Strange how these things can burn so bad, but offer such relief. There was such an obvious out, an end. I couldn't bring myself to do it though. The Kamiya Kasshin preached life and saving it at all costs.

But I had nothing to live for anymore.

I felt like a hypocrite. I was going about my life, teaching Yahiko these principles when I wasn't even sure I believed in what I taught anymore. Not that I ever let him see that. No, the dark horrors of my depression were not for his eyes.

Instead, I kept them bottled up inside of me, which I knew was not healthy. Megumi had told me as much.

_"Really, tanuki! I know you're depressed, we all know you're depressed, so just stop pretending!"_

_"Megumi, I'm not pretending! I'm perfectly fine, mou!" I blew my bangs out of my face._

_She frowned. "Kaoru, this is not healthy. Ken-"_

_"Don't," I whispered. "He wouldn't care. Obviously," I added under my breath. _

_She shook her head and flipped her hair behind her before saying, "At least take this." She pressed a packet into my hand. "It's tea. It'll help you sleep, since I know you're not doing a whole lot of that." Her index finger motioned to the dark rings around my eyes._

_"Thank you, Megumi," I said, accepting the tea and her words. "I'll try to visit in between classes next week."_

_"I'll be here," she said, smiling warmly. "Whenever you need me," she tacked on._

Those words meant a lot to me. Megumi had never gone out of her way to be nice to me. Now it was like we were sisters. We argued, but we never meant it anymore. If I was ever going to open up and just confess, I would go to her.

I shook my head and rolled over in my futon, attempting to clear my head. No matter where my thoughts went, they always came back to one place; Kenshin. Why had he left? The question nagged at me, ate me alive. I just didn't know. He never told me.

In fact, he never even said good-bye to my face. Coward. I woke up in the morning to find him gone. All his possessions had disappeared and there was a note with a single word on his rolled futon; _Sayonara._

At first I had been furious. I had beat anything and everything I could get my hands on- after I gave Yahiko a warning. As much as I liked to beat on the kid during a practice, he didn't deserve the kind of wrath I was dishing out that day.

And then I had wanted to follow him. Except, I had no idea where he had gone. I contacted Misao and the Tokyo branch of the Oniwabanshuu in an effort to have them get a trace of him, but both branches turned up nothing. They promised to keep trying though, however futile their attempts were.

When my last hopes of finding him had failed, the depression had set in.

That was four months ago. I was much better now, then I had been. But it still hurt. I was trying so hard not to be selfish; I wasn't the only one who had loved Kenshin.

I rolled over again. Four months. I sighed. How do you leave someone who offered you everything they had without even having the decency to say good-bye to their face? I just didn't know.

I huffed my breath out and ran my fingers through my bangs in frustration. Four months and nothing was any more clear than that morning. And then I pulled my hand out of my hair.

If Kenshin didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be found. That was a fact. No amount of wishing would change that. No amount of crying, no amount of sobbing, no amount of depression.

Not that the thought did anything to help any of the three. I was breaking down. After four months of trying, I was going to give up. I was going to tell the Oniwabanshuu to stop. I was done.

I let the familiar heat of my tears fall down my cheeks and I managed to keep it relatively silent. It had taken me two months to learn how to cry quietly and suppress my sobs. But it was a useful trick now that I had it.

I didn't even know how to describe this... this feeling. It was something akin to a breakdown. I just couldn't fight it anymore. And sadly, I didn't want to. I just let it happen, hoping that if I got my tears out at night, they wouldn't bother me during the day.

I couldn't help wondering if this was it.

If this misery would suffice.

Owari

a/n: Review, por favor!


	11. Chapter 11: I'm In Love With My Husband

a/n: Well, since I'm still in a bit of a funk, here's some more angst. I won't break my Christmas fluff promise though. I have two drabbles I plan on posting once we get a little closer to the holiday for it, but I'm just not ready for it yet. So here it is! Lemme know what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

I'm In Love With My Husband

It was a marriage of convenience before anything else. A marriage meant to throw our enemies off our backs. As a married woman, I could no longer be a target. As a married man, he no longer had any obligations to them. It was a perfect solution.

Oh, but it was impulsive. Neither of us had really thought it through. He suggested it and two hours later we were wed. So very impulsive.

So here we were. Living in a small cottage as if we were a dream couple, which we weren't. I knew that. I knew that from the women he brought home to answer his desires and the long hours he stayed away from home in between the women. And it broke my heart.

I was never supposed to feel anything for him. In fact, he'd told me so when this all started.

_"We can never forget that this is temporary. So don't go doing anything so foolish as falling in love. This is convenient and that's all it is." _

I closed my eyes against the memory, wanting to block it out, but unable to do so. Instead I remembered everything. We were only to be married as long as it took. As soon as the organization forgot we existed, we were going to get an annulment.

It wasn't as if we'd ever had sex.

There was only one time we'd ever come close. We were drunk. At least, he was. I was tipsy, but I'd never tell him the truth. I'd wanted it. I'd wanted it so badly. But he hadn't. At least not while he was sober.

_"God, Kaoru," he groaned, pulling me to him as his lips covered mine. _

_I bit back a slight moan and ran my nails down his bare back, getting tangled briefly in his long hair. I felt his tongue slide across my lips and into my mouth and I couldn't hold the moan that escaped into his mouth this time. _

_His hands gripped my hips and his lips left mine to trail down my neck. I pulled the tie out of his hair and sighed his name, loving the feel of his lips on me. It was everything I'd ever wanted. I closed my eyes, letting the sensations crash over me as his hands started to tug on my skirt. _

_"Kenshin, please," I whimpered. His lips hadn't stopped their downward trend and were playing along the tops of my breasts that were still confined to the lacy bra I'd worn to the party. _

_He chuckled against me and I gripped his body tighter. "Eager, are we?"_

_"I..." Why lie? "Yes," I finally said, reaching up and cupping his face, wanting to draw his lips to mine again. It was then I saw the serious expression on his face. I wanted to frown, but forced myself to keep everything neutral._

_"This is wrong," he said after a pause. His hands had stopped moving. Stopped touching me all together, actually. I let my own hands fall away from his face. It was over. My fantasy was done. I should be grateful for the small taste I'd had. _

_"Yes," I agreed, stumbling backward. _

_He walked away then. _

I sighed and shook my head. That had been almost a month ago. He had stopped sleeping at home after that. Instead, he sleeps around. It tears me apart. I'm so stupid. I'd been so selfish in those moments and now he was avoiding me.

God.

I swiped my arm across my eyes, getting rid of the offensive tears that had been plaguing me all the time lately. I wasn't worried about him seeing them. He was never here anyway. I was so stupid. I couldn't just sit here and cry over something that was never really mine anyway.

The thought was not new. I'd thought it so frequently it was almost a mantra by now. I let out a breath and stood up from where I'd been sitting at the kitchen table. I was supposed to be making something for lunch. Something simple, he'd said before he left. He didn't want to come home to a burned down house.

I couldn't blame him there. I was a terrible cook. So I settled for PB&J. It was as good as anything and didn't require thought let alone dangerous appliances.

I'd just finished eating when I heard the door slam. In my perfect fantasies he'd say, "I'm home, love!" I'd answer with something stupid and happy and we'd greet each other with a kiss. Yeah. Right.

In reality, he came in, threw his shit on the table and walked past me without a word. I wondered when it had really become awkward. We used to talk, almost be friends at least. Now it was always silent. Always unsettling. I couldn't relax when he was here.

He came back out from wherever it was he had gone in the house and sat at the table while I stood, leaning against the counter. He had changed out of his work clothes and was wearing jeans and a sweater. I was still wearing my pajamas.

This was what it was always like. He'd come home, read his paper, eat lunch, and ignore me. I'd stare at him while he did it and when he finished he'd leave to go who knows where. I'd go change into real clothing and go for a walk to clear my clogged head and come home before him again.

It was a cycle.

Today, I broke the cycle. I sighed, sat down across from him laid my head down on my arms on the table. I really wanted to bang my head against the table to let out some frustration and make him understand how he was hurting me, but refrained. He'd warned me, I'd ignored his warning. This wasn't his fault. It was mine.

I felt his eyes on me and it almost made me want to look up. Almost. I knew what kind of expression he'd be wearing. The one that said, "What are you doing?" So I just sat there with my head down. I listened to the rustling of the paper and when he was done eating the scrap of the chair legs pushing away from the table and the clang of the plate going into the sink.

"What's wrong?"

I started, raising my head. He'd spoken. What? I fought the hysterical giggle that was building. Of course he spoke. I was being stupid. I shook my head and sighed again.

"Nothing."

He nodded and left. After he was gone, I answered the question for real.

"What's wrong?" I repeated out loud. "I'll tell you what's wrong. I'm in love with my husband."

Owari

a/n: Drop a review, please?


	12. Chapter 12: I'm In Love With My Wife

a/n: I probably should have told everyone when I posted the last chapter that it was part of a trilogy thing. Oops? Anyway, here's part two and part three is coming shortly.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

I'm In Love With My Wife

It was convenient. That's what I'd said. What I told her. And it was, so I wasn't lying. I just didn't expect it to ever be more than that. It was never supposed to be more than that. I'd told her as much. Don't fall in love and we'll be fine.

Right.

I should really learn to take my own advice. Ever since we said our vows and moved in together things have changed. We used to be friends. That's impossible now. I distance myself from her now. I never used to. Ever since I almost lost control... I can't risk it again.

I clenched my eyes against the memory and found myself remembering instead. Remembering how good she had tasted, how warm and pliant her body had been against mine. The feel of her skin under my hands. Oh, god.

_"God, Kaoru," I groaned, kissing her deeply._

_I'd wanted this for so long. And the alcohol had cut my inhibitions down. I was taking what I wanted. She tasted like the expensive wine that out hostess had served at the party and I drank it in off of her. So good. I hadn't enjoyed the wine as much when it was in the glass. _

_My hands were everywhere. I couldn't get enough. I didn't want it to end. Ever. I trailed my lips away from hers after stealing a moan from her, taking in the salty taste of her skin. I closed my eyes and savored the feeling of her hands tangling in my hair. God, how I loved it. Loved her. _

_I continued my trek lower and she said something. "Kenshin, please." It made me chuckle. She wanted me. I wanted her. It made me happy._

_"Eager, are we?" I asked, letting my lips tease the tops of her breasts with every word._

_"I..." She paused for a moment and I stopped kissing her. "Yes." Her hands pulled my face to hers and I was unable to smile. Did she really want this? I shouldn't be letting this happen. I'd told her not to fall in love with me and here I was ravishing the girl, practically forcing her into bed with me. And she was drunk. God, what was I doing?_

_"This is wrong," I said at length, withdrawing from her. It hurt. I wanted nothing more than to pull her back in my arms and go back to where we left off. _

_She pulled her hands back and her eyes sobered. "Yes." She took a step backward and I fled. _

I couldn't trust myself anymore. I didn't sleep at home. I didn't want to sleep in the same house, let alone the same bed. Too many opportunities to take advantage of. Now that I knew what it felt like to have her in my arms, the temptation of sleeping in the same bed and having her so accessible was too much. I couldn't trust myself not to touch her.

So I slept at friend's houses mostly. Every time I tried to call upon an old lover, I couldn't do it. Their face turned into her face and I was lost.

I avoided her as much as I could. I knew I would do something stupid if I was in the same room with her for too long, though. And I knew she didn't love me. How could she? I constantly pushed her away and tried to protect myself. How could you love someone who was never there?

I shook my head and dragged a hand through my bangs. I was on my way home for lunch. I had considered skipping out, but I didn't want to. I wanted to see her. See her standing there in her pajamas. The skimpy tank that drove me crazy and the baggy flannel pants that covered all but her bare toes. I loved seeing her like that.

I opened the door and dropped my stuff on the table. I didn't say hello to her even though she was standing right there. I couldn't. Instead, I walked into what was supposed to be our bedroom and in reality was just hers and changed into something more comfortable.

She was standing where she had been when I came back. I sat down and pulled the paper to me, trying to ignore her eyes boring holes into the back of my head. God, she probably hated me. I hated myself.

I was trying to concentrate on my lunch and the uninteresting article in the paper when I heard the legs on the chair across from me pull against the floor. She'd sat down with me. She'd never done that before. Before I could say anything she laid her head in her arms, looking away from me.

I took advantage of that and let my eyes wander all over what I could see. Her hair was thrown into a hasty ponytail and her usual ribbon was missing. Her arms were bare and her fingernails unpainted. I forced my eyes away. I wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her. I wanted to say, "It's not your fault I'm an asshole, it's mine. I shouldn't have fallen in love with you," but I didn't.

I stood up, put my plate in the sink and cast another look back at her. I said something this time. "What's wrong?"

She picked her head up. She looked surprised. I drank it all in. Her eyes were dull. I hated that. They had been a vivid blue when we first moved in. Now there was nothing there. No spark. No fire. I missed it. After a long moment, she finally said something.

"Nothing."

I knew she was lying, but I let it drop. She probably didn't want to tell me that she hated me to my face. I fought the urge to sigh. I nodded and headed out again. When I was outside, I did sigh. And then I told myself what was wrong with _me_.

"What's wrong?" I said softly, closing my eyes. "I know what's wrong. I'm in love with my wife."

Owari

a/n: Before I beg for reviews, I want to thank everyone who does take the time to review! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!! :) Thank you all so much!


	13. Chapter 13: I'm In Love With You

a/n: And here it is. The last installment in the 'I'm In Love With' saga. After this, I'm going to post some holiday fun stuff, promise. Anyway, enjoy and as always let me know what you think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

I'm In Love With You

He couldn't stay away any longer. He wanted her. He needed her. It was killing him to stay away. It was all his fault. He was going to tell her that it was all his fault. He was going to try and make her understand why he did what he did.

He was going home tonight. He was going to sleep in his own bed for the first night since their drunken kiss. He was going to hold her in his arms if she let him.

He was going home.

* * *

She was sick of it. She was going to confront him. She couldn't take it anymore. The pain, the loneliness... It was all his fault and she was going to tell him that. Just as soon as he had to come home for some inane reason.

She settled down on the bed with a long sigh. She could be waiting a long time and she was tired. She went to bed.

Hours later she heard the lock click and her eyes snapped open. Her first thought was burglars because her husband didn't spend his nights at home. Ever. She slid out of bed and made a grab for the bokken she kept next to the bed. Living alone made her paranoid.

She crept out into the kitchen to find it basked in light. And he was standing there with his hands braced on the sink his attention settled out the window. She was confused.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, letting her confusion seep into the question.

He straightened, but didn't turn to her when he answered. "There are things I need to tell you."

Her eyes widened. This was it, she thought. He was going to end it. End her. He felt that they were safe and wanted to end this charade. She dropped her bokken on the soft carpet behind her. "Yes?"

"I..." He turned towards her finally, his eyes anguished. "I'm sorry," he started, taking a deep breath.

"I understand," she said, her worst fears realized. It was over.

"What?"

"I understand. I'll file the paperwork tomorrow," she told him, making a move towards the bedroom. "Good-night."

"No, wait, Kaoru," he said. And suddenly he was there, holding her arm, stopping her from retiring. "That's not what I meant."

"What then?" she asked, truly bewildered.

He grasped her shoulders and pulled her around so that she was facing him fully. "I'm sorry I've been so horrible," he clarified. "I don't want to be like that anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I... The reason I stayed away from you was-" He stopped and took a deep breath. "God, Kaoru, can't you see? I want you so much," he finished roughly.

She slapped him. "Don't lie to me!" she hissed, hurt. "No, you don't! I don't need your lies to comfort me at night, Kenshin!"

He stared at her in shock. He hadn't expected that. His hand lingered over his offended cheek. This was not what he wanted.

"Kaoru, please listen to me," he began, needed for her to understand him. "I love you," he stated bluntly. "I know I told you not to fall in love with me, but then I went and fell for you! That's why I couldn't stay here. I was afraid I might do something that you didn't want me to."

There were tears clinging to her eyelashes as she took in his words. "No," she muttered. Those were supposed to be her words. She was supposed to make him understand the hell he'd put her through.

"I mean it," he affirmed, pulling her into him for an embrace. "I... I didn't trust myself."

"Kenshin," she said, her tears falling over her cheeks. "I... I don't know what to say. I don't hate you," she settled on. "I _love _you."

He pulled away and stared at her in disbelief. "But-"

"It killed me when you stopped that night. I'd never wanted anything more than I wanted you in that moment and you pulled away and told me it wasn't right," she told him, shaking her head.

"Oh, Kaoru, I only pulled away because I thought I was forcing you into something you'd regret. Something you didn't want. If I'd known... I would have never stopped," he assured, tugging her close again, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked, finally letting her arms wrap themselves around him. "That you love me?"

"Yes," he murmured raggedly. "Yes. I love you. I've loved you for so long..." He pulled his head up and looked into her eyes. They'd regained their sparkle. He lowered his mouth to hers and in that moment they both knew that the other spoke the absolute truth.

It looked like they might get their happily ever after.

Owari

a/n: And it's over! Drop a comment, please!


	14. Chapter 14: Frosting

a/n: It's happy. And in the holiday spirit. And fluffy. Everything I promised! So please enjoy and look forward to to the next holiday drabble I plan on posting later this week for Christmas.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Frosting

Kaoru was making Christmas cookies. Cut out cookies to be exact. She was so excited. She'd never been able to get the recipe right before, but with some extra lessons from Megumi, she'd managed to make some damn near perfect cut out cookies.

She smiled and put the finishing touches on the icing. He was going to be so impressed! She couldn't wait till he got there. He was going to be so surprised. She pulled down a plate from the cabinet and arranged them on it before setting it on the table.

"There!" She clapped her hands together in a show of happiness and cast a glance back at the cookie tray. There were still a few cookies scattered upon it. Her eyes slid to the door and then back to the pan. Surely it couldn't hurt...

It couldn't hurt.

She chose a candy cane shaped cookie that was frosted red and white accordingly and took a bite. "Mmm," she let out, proud of her efforts. She finished it off within a few minutes and licked the stray frosting off her fingers.

"That looks... delicious."

She started, pausing in the act of cleaning her fingers. "Ke-Kenshin!" she exclaimed, smiling instantly. "I was expecting you for another hour," she confessed.

He chuckled, joining her over by her cookies. He grasped the hand that she was still holding up in front of her mouth. He took her index finger, his eyes locked with hers, and brought it into his mouth. She whimpered low in her throat as his tongue swirled around the digit.

"Yum," he whispered, slowly releasing her hand. "But I think..." he started, shifting her so that she was in front of him and his hands were cradling her face. "Much better," he said, his breath fanning over her lips.

She licked her lips in anticipation and it was all the invitation he needed. He lowered his face to hers so that their lips were touching. Nothing else touched, but that was something that changed very quickly. Within seconds, she found herself plastered against him, her hands buried knuckle deep in his long hair.

His hands and drifted down from her face to grip her hips and pull them hard against him as his mouth ravaged hers. Their tongues were fighting for dominance. She was barely aware of where they were until her back hit the counter. They pulled apart to breathe for a moment and he hoisted her up onto the counter and then tugged her back into his body, his lips claiming hers once more.

She wrapped her legs around his torso and moaned into his mouth. She loved they way he felt against her, loved the way his tongue was caressing her, loved the way he was holding her. The way he was holding her spoke of possessiveness and she loved every second of it. She loved him.

He lifted his lips from hers, panting. She wasn't much better off, her breath coming out in rushed puffs of air. His now red lips curved into a wide smile.

"I think I'd like to try one of those cookies, now," he told her. "I'm fairly certain they'll be excellent."

She swatted him. "You ruined the surprise," she chided. "I worked really hard on those."

"And I'm sure they're great, but I'll bet that they taste even better on your lips," he told her, squeezing her tighter.

She laughed and fell into his next kiss. Who was she to argue?

Owari

a/n: Lemme know what you think, please! Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15: Mistletoe

a/n: This is the second holiday piece I did. Completely unrelated to the last one. More Christmas-y this time. As always, lemme know what you think! Much appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Mistletoe

"Are you going to hang it?" I asked, playing with a rose petal in front of me.

"What? No. I never hang it. I put it in a basket," she replied, taking a rose off the counter and stuffing it into the arrangement she was making. "Why would I hang it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because mistletoe is traditionally hung!"

She gave me a sly, teasing look. "Is there someone you want to stand under it with?"

"What? No! It's just to be festive! Get into the holiday spirit and what not," I defended myself, blushing slightly.

"Of course."

"Hey girls!" I looked up to find my best friend standing in the entrance.

"Hey Misao, what's up?"

"Oh, not much. I just figured I'd stop by since I'm on my way to the pet store and see you guys," she said, pulling her gloves off. "It sure is cold out there!"

"I know," I said, looking out the window at the snow swirling around.

"When's the rest of your Christmas stuff coming in, Meg?"

"This week."

"She ordered mistletoe," I told her, grinning.

"Ohhh, really? Are you going to hang it?"

I laughed. "No, she's going to put it in a basket," I replied for her.

"What?! That's no fun, you have to hang at least one," Misao insisted.

Megumi stood up and took the arrangement she'd been working on to the cooler. "Fine, I might be able to find a place to hang some mistletoe. Happy now?"

Misao and I both nodded and chirped, "Yes!"

* * *

The mistletoe came in a week later. I'd helped Meg hang the one we'd decided on with a wide smile. She'd shaken her head and gotten a practical basket for the rest and set them out on display. I had played happily under the hanging sprig until she got mad and summoned me back to where I was needed.

That had been three weeks ago. Now it was Christmas Eve and the mistletoe was still hanging merrily.

"Are you sure you don't mind closing the shop tonight, Kaoru? You can leave early, you know," Megumi asked me for the thousandth time.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't mind! My parents are away for Christmas and Yahiko is spending the holiday with Yuutaro," I said in return for the thousandth time. "I'm all by myself, so I might as well stay here!"

"If you're sure-"

"Go! Get out of here! I know Sano is dying for you to get home!" I told her, pushing her out the door. "Go!"

She laughed, but complied. "All right, all right! Don't forget to lock up!"

"I won't!" I promised, waving good-bye.

She walked away and I gave a sigh of relief. That woman worked entirely too hard. I was thankful that she'd finally given in and just let me run the shop tonight. It was going to be boring, I knew, but the sign said eight-thirty and I was going to stay till then. At the moment, it was only six.

I sat around, singing the Christmas music that was playing on the radio and making bows for arrangements. I almost didn't hear the bell on the door to the shop. But I did. I started and dropped the ribbon that had been in my hands.

I walked to the front and found a familiar face lingering in the doorway. "Kenshin! What are you doing here? I thought your uncle flew in for the holiday!"

He smiled. "He did."

I frowned. "Then why are you here? And not there?" I was confused.

"Well, apparently the lack of Christmas decoration around my apartment was depressing and he decided that it needed to be fixed," he said with a shrug. "Right away."

I laughed. "But it's Christmas Eve!"

"I know," he agreed, fingering a petal on a poinsettia. "So what are you doing here?"

"I work here," I reminded him with a small smile.

"Yeah, but it's Christmas Eve," he threw my words back at me.

"Oh, I'm spending Christmas alone this year so I volunteered to close shop tonight," I explained with a wave of my hand.

"How depressing," he pointed out what I'd been thinking for the last week.

"Not really. A break, actually," I lied. "My family can be a bit overwhelming sometimes."

"They all can," he said, wandering around the shop a little.

I felt awkward. I didn't know if I should follow him and do my best sales pitch or just hang back and let him do what he was going to do. I really wanted to follow him just to look at him. Himura Kenshin had been the object of my fantasies for as long as I could remember. And now we were all alone in the shop.

I followed him. I didn't know if I was going to do the sales pitch thing, but I was definitely going to keep an eye on him.

"So what exactly were you thinking for holiday decoration?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"I don't know. You're the expert, what should I get?"

The word "poinsettia" was on my lips. I hated the things. I wanted them gone. But instead of blurting it out, I thought about it. Were they the best representation of Christmas we had? We had those ridiculous door swags that Meg ordered, the baby Norfolk Pine trees, the little ferns with plastic birds in them, holiday arrangements, holly plants, and... mistletoe. We still had mistletoe.

"Mistletoe!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers. "We have mistletoe!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, come on! It's over here." I walked over to where the basket was sitting and gestured to it. "It's coming off the shelves in a few days so it's prime time to get it," I told him, proud of myself.

"Really?" He wasn't looking at me. He was looking up. And that was when I remembered that there was mistletoe hanging above the basket. Because I'd told Meg to hang it. And now we were standing underneath it.

"Miss Kamiya," he started in a mocking voice. "Did you perhaps lure me under the mistletoe?"

I flushed scarlet. "N-No!" I sputtered, shaking my head. "Well, not on purpose!" I insisted.

He took a step towards me, smirking. "Somehow... I don't believe you."

I found myself backing up in response to his steps forward. I didn't have any words to respond and instead just kept walking back while he proceeded forward. That is, until I hit the outside wall of the cooler and had no where else to go.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but he cut me off. His mouth was suddenly on mine, making all my fantasies into reality. I couldn't believe it. At least not in my mind, but my body recognized its wants and responded easily. My arms came around his neck and my lips decided that they liked his surprise and pressed themselves eagerly against his.

One of his hands was resting on my waist while the other cupped my nape. I whimpered in the back of my throat when he parted my lips with his tongue ever so carefully. There was nothing careful about the way I accepted it into my mouth and began to fight it with my own. I felt his hand tighten around my nape before easing up and untying the ribbon that held my hair up. His fingers tangled into it as his tongue started to retreat back into his own mouth.

I wanted to be disappointed, but the experience had been so electric. He gave me a few more softening kisses before pulling away completely and tugging my body into a hug. I returned the embrace and tried to get my breathing under control.

He had better control than I did. He separated our bodies and sent me a knowing smile, his eyes dancing with mischief. I was going to say something, but he shook his head and beat me to it.

"Merry Christmas."

I couldn't help but think that it was going to be a very merry Christmas indeed.

Owari

a/n: I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Until next time!


	16. Chapter 16: Fantasy

a/n: Totally random. A little bit supernatural. But overall fun. And it's from Kenshin's POV this time! So something different.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Fantasy

I scanned the crowd with disinterest. There was nothing going on outside the usual tonight. All the usuals were frequenting the bar. I didn't want to be here. Not when I had other, more important, things I could be doing. Like sleeping. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Assassins did not roll their eyes. At least not where they could be seen.

"Long night?" I turned to meet the voice. Sano.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Sorry, man," he apologized with a laugh. "But Misao said something about bringing a new girl with her later tonight so maybe things will liven up."

New? I wondered to myself. Interesting. Nothing interesting had happened here in a long time. Which was why I wanted to know why I was still posted here. It used to be a watering hole for the rival yakuza in the area, but they had abandoned it a few weeks ago. Now my assignment made little sense.

"I look forward to it," I finally said, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall.

"I figured you would," he said. "You know, you should really take a break, Kenshin. You work way to hard."

If he only knew. I was always on active duty, even when I was at home. There was no break in my line of business.

"I know. I'll try," I promised.

Sano nodded and headed back towards the bar, saying that he had to get back to work. I nodded in return, but he was already gone. I sighed and did another sweep of the bar and the small dance floor. Nothing exciting. Not yet, at least.

---------------

The new girl put in an appearance around midnight. She was with Misao and she looked bored and slightly disgusted. She pulled the smaller girl closer to her and whispered something in her ear to make her giggle. She pulled away with a smile and I found myself interested.

She had raven black hair tied back in a ponytail, leaving her face open for evaluation. She had blue eyes, the same color as the ocean. As I looked into them, I felt like I was drowning. Weird. I pulled my gaze away from her eyes and let them travel down the line of her body. She was wearing a short black dress with blue undertones.

Before I could finish my examination, Misao was headed in my direction, the girl in tow. Misao smiled at me and pulled her friend forward so that she was facing me. A grin formed on the girl's face and her eyes were dancing with mischief. I was suspicious immediately.

"Kaoru, this is Kenshin. Kenshin, this is Kaoru," Misao introduced.

I nodded and held my hand out. She took it, but her expression didn't change. If anything, it grew more amused.

"You're so easy to read," she said, still smiling as she disengaged our hands. "I like that."

I frowned. "What?"

Misao giggled, but she did that often enough that I almost didn't pay any attention to it.

"Your dreams," she elaborated with a wave of her hand. "Your fantasies," she murmured, easing closer to me.

If I were the type of man who froze up in situations like this, I would have gulped and started to step away from her and those eyes. Her words didn't make sense. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I was confused.

"Excuse me?"

Misao rolled her eyes and walked away. "I'll be at the bar with Aoshi when you're done playing, okay Kaoru?"

"Uh-huh," she said absentmindedly, her eyes still focused on mine. I tried to avert my eyes, but there was something in hers that made it hard for me to do so. Instead, they stayed riveted to hers.

"What do you mean?" I rephrased eventually.

She gave a catty smile and broke eye contact for the first time since she had been introduced to me. "I'm a fantasia," she answered as if it cleared anything up.

It didn't.

"What is that?"

She flicked her bangs out of her eyes with a shake of her head. "I can see everyone's fantasies," she explained finally, licking her lips. "Even if they themselves are not aware of the fantasy."

My mouth was suddenly dry.

"And you, _Kenshin,_" she began, purring my name out in a way I very much liked, "are a very interesting read." Her eyes met mine again and all of a sudden she was pressed very close to me.

"Is that right?" I asked calmly. Outward calm only. She was causing turmoil in my body.

"Yes." Her arms had come up to encircle my neck and my own arms, as if they had a mind of their own, were around her waist without my realizing they had even moved. "Are you even aware of what you want?"

"I have a faint idea," I managed to say.

I could feel her smile against my ear as she leaned in closer. "I could make that fantasy a reality, if you'll let me," she whispered huskily, her lips brushing the edge of my ear with every syllable.

My arms tightened around her. "I'd like that."

Owari

a/n: I can't decide whether or not to continue this. It would be naughty, but delicious. Anyway, I guess we can take a vote. Drop a review and state your opinion! Thank you!


	17. Chapter 17: Reality

a/n: Because the results of the vote were unanimous in a favorable fashion for a continuation, I did. And it's really naughty. NC-17 naughty. So be warned, there's a lemon inside. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Reality

I don't remember the drive to her apartment except for the hot kisses at red lights. My God, could the woman kiss. It drove me mad. And her hands. They managed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same it. It was maddening and wonderful all at the same time. I loved it.

Before I knew it, we were at her apartment. She dragged me up the stairs, smiling and laughing huskily the whole way. "Patience," she said, fumbling for her key.

I couldn't find it in me to be patient, not with the way she'd been teasing me all night. I cradled her body into mine from behind as she unlocked the door. She laughed again and leaned back into me for a moment before dancing out of my embrace to open the door.

She led me in and then shut the door behind me. What she did next surprised me. And pleased me. She pushed my back up against the now closed door and caressed my lips with hers.

"I thought I told you to be patient," she said, her words punctuated with small kisses.

I wasn't sure I could answer and while I tried to figure out what I would even say, she had my lips entangled with hers again. This time there was a surprise inside. Instead of making me crazy with just her lips, she threw her tongue into the mix. It pressed against my lips and I opened with little to no resistance and she wasted no time making our mouths more intimate with each other.

I was so caught up in the kiss, following all her tongue work, that I almost missed what her hands were up to. However, when she found her goal, it was impossible to miss their intentions. When she had first started kissing me with my back to the door one of her hands had been occupied in my hair, the other trailing down my chest in seductive swirls, using namely her index finger.

And then she'd slipped her tongue in my mouth and I'd lost track of them for a while. But now, they were sliding across my hips, one hand playing with the button of my jeans. Christ.

My own hands were helplessly clutching at her hips as her fingers crept closer to where I wanted, needed to be touched. There was no denying that she knew what she was doing. She knew just how to drive me crazy. She broke our kiss, panting carefully. I, on the other hand, was a complete mess. My panting was less controlled. Especially since she decided to stop dancing around the object of her attentions.

She flicked open the button she'd been playing with and slowly pulled the zipper down. I closed my eyes. She was torturing me and she knew it. She was enjoying it. Her mouth slid down from my mouth to sprinkle kisses along the edge of my jaw. My breathing, which had been calming down, took a turn for the worst.

One of her hands eased up my chest to slip under my t-shirt. I clenched my hands against her hips once before releasing her totally to take the shirt off for her. She made a noise of what I hoped was appreciation for the muscle tone I'd been building for the past five years in my current profession.

That hand of hers that had been slowly creeping up took care to pay special attention to my abs at the same time her other hand finished up with the fly on my jeans. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the door with a dull 'thud' and I heard her giggle. I felt it, even, as her mouth was planting wet kisses across my exposed chest.

My hands, which had fallen helplessly at my side after I'd taken my shirt off, found themselves tugging on the ribbon that held her hair up to tangle in the soft strands. God, how I wanted her. I couldn't remember the last time I had shown such an interest in a woman.

Her hands were ready to tug my jeans down when I stopped her. She was surprised; I could read it in her eyes if only for a moment before everything cleared up. That smile that was becoming familiar grew on her lips and she dragged my hands out of her hair. She linked our hands and pulled me further into the apartment.

"You are very different than any other man I've ever met," she admitted as she pushed me into her bedroom. "I like it."

I cast her a lazy grin. "Happy to be of service."

Her eyes lit up at that and she shoved me onto the bed roughly. I let out a little gasp of surprise, but she smothered it with her lips within a moment. She was straddling me and her arms were on either side of my head, her weight supported by her elbows. I found myself winding my arms around her waist and trying to pull her all the way down on me.

She broke the kiss with an out of breath laugh and shook her head. "Almost, love, almost," she promised.

She began the descend she had started at the door, taking her sweet time. My hands were gliding up and down her sides as she went. I took a deep breath when she took my nipple into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around it and before she drew her head away, gave it a little love nip.

And then she was moving on, her hands abandoning the bed to lay flat against my chest while her mouth worked lower. My own hands had stilled on her waist as I absorbed everything she was doing to me. While one of her hands remained planted on my chest, the other began working my jeans down again.

Her eyes locked with mine, wondering if I was going to stop her this time. I didn't. I simply tugged on the end of her dress, offering her a silent trade. That coy little smile appeared again and she nodded. She used her hands on my chest to push her upper half up and off of me so that she was just straddling me. I loved seeing her on top of me like that.

She shot me a flirty look and pulled the dress up and over her head, leaving her wearing nothing but her bra and panties. They were both black and both very lacy, leaving little to imagination. I loved it.

However, I had little time to admire her lithe little figure as I was expected to give my payment. My jeans. She helped me out of them. I pushed up with my hips and used to hands to shove out of them. Her hands were right there with mine and she was as eager to be rid of them as I was.

After a few seconds of persistence they were on the floor, leaving me clad in only my boxers. I watched as her eyes ran up and down my form for a moment before deciding I was allowed to do the same.

My eyes devoured her. Her hair was falling over her shoulder in a curtain since I'd taken her ribbon earlier. Her bra was strapless and there wasn't a whole lot of it. The same was true of her panties. There was a swath of creamy white skin open to my eyes and I didn't waste any time appreciating it.

She was lightly toned in a way that spoke of a familiarity with a gym. I briefly wondered if we would go to the gym together after we became more acquainted. I was only able to ponder that one for a moment or two, though, because she was back at it after she decided I met her standards.

"You are a very attractive man," she whispered in my ear, her hand grasping me through my boxers.

I groaned, unable to formulate an appropriate response. In fact, the only thing I could choke out was her name. "Kaoru!" Part shock, part pleasure. She merely laughed, the sound ghosting through me, as she used her tricky fingers to render me speechless.

"You like that?" she asked impishly, though it was rather obvious what my answer was.

My hands spasmed on her waist and my breathing was beyond taming. But I didn't want to go that way. I forced my hands to obey me as I pulled her hand away from my member. I wanted to make this last.

She was disappointed, but allowed me to roll her underneath me as I pulled her hand away. A small pout decorated her mouth and it was finally my turn to give her a little evil smile as I swooped down to kiss the expression off her lips.

While I had her distracted with my lips I worked on discarding her panties. However, I found out that she was far ahead of me and her fingers had already teased them down to her knees. Not to be outdone, I eased my hands beneath her back and started trying to unhook her bra. Naturally, there were no hooks.

She broke the kiss, laughing, and threw her panties over my shoulder before reaching for the front of her bra. "It's a front clasp," she explained, licking her smiling lips.

Of course it did. I couldn't even properly undress my date. She shook her head at my expression and pulled me down by the nape of my neck till her tongue was level with my ear.

"You know what I want?" she asked, her index finger of her other hand teasing the edge of my boxers.

"What?" I panted out raggedly. I hoped it was what I wanted because I didn't think I could wait much longer.

She bit the lobe of my ear lightly before saying, "I want you to fuck me."

I just about died at her words. As it was I released a low groan and dropped my head to rest on her shoulder. I wanted nothing more than to be inside her. And she knew it. She could, after all, see my fantasies.

She pushed my boxers down and freed my length. I closed my eyes and ground against her for a moment. She gave a small noise of encouragement. I smiled and started to guide myself into her. I pushed in gently, going slow. Her hands were caressing my hips, and pulling them towards her. I took that as a sign to go faster.

I thrust in quickly, filling her completely. She moaned and threw her head back. My moan merely echoed hers. I'd never felt anything like it. Of course, this wasn't the first time I'd ever had sex, but there was something different about Kaoru... I loved it. I don't think I've ever wanted anyone as much as I wanted her in that moment.

Her legs came around my hips and I lost my inner thoughts. They simply vanished with the need to see her in the throws of passion. To see her scream my name as she hit completion. Mine. And no one else's.

I started out slow, not wanted to hurt her. That didn't last long though, as she began to dig her nails into my back and beg for more. And besides, my self control wasn't that good. I couldn't keep up the slow pace for long before it started affected me as well.

Before I knew it, I was gripping her hips tightly and thrusting into her with a single minded determination I didn't know I possessed. She certainly seemed to enjoy it, though, and so was I. I closed my eyes again and focused on the feeling of her around me.

"Ke-Kenshin," she mewled, her back arcing up off the bed. She was close; I could feel it. That was a blessing because I wouldn't be far behind her at this rate and I desperately wanted to please her.

A few more hard thrusts and she was gone, her inner muscles spasming around me as she gasped out my name. It merely fueled my fire, hearing my name on her lips in such a way. It only took me a few more pumps after that and I followed her into oblivion and it was my turn to let her hear her name fall from my lips.

I collapsed on top of her, trying to hold my weight up on my elbows over her. Her hands were running up and down my backs of my arms and she was making a low noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr.

"That," she started, slightly out of breath, "was amazing."

"And we skipped the foreplay," I joked, kissing her hairline.

She laughed. "There's always next time."

I was delighted to hear there would be a next time. The way I was feeling, I didn't think I would ever be able to let this woman go. Over the span of a few short hours she'd captured me completely.

"I can't wait," I murmured, pulling out of her and reluctantly rolling over. I pulled her into embrace and tugged a blanket up over us.

"Mmm," she murmured, wrapping her arms around me and tangling her legs with mine. "Me neither."

As she fell asleep in my arms, I had to wonder where this was going, what this meant to her. If it was all a game... Well, I'd just have to leave her so satisfied that she didn't want to go anywhere else.

Because after tonight, there was no way I was going to let her walk away from me. Ever.

She was mine. She just didn't know it yet.

Owari

a/n: How'd I do? I've never written a lemon from a man's perspective before and it's been a long time since I wrote any kind of lemon. So lemme know!


	18. Chapter 18: Trust

a/n: Another drabble based on a dream. I don't know. To me, it feels like there's maybe something... off with it, but that could be the whole process of trying to adapt a dream to a story and make it non-dreamlike-ish. Oh, well. I did my best. Let me know what you think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Trust

I was hiding. I was under the table, cowering in beneath the fancy table cloth, even though I was far too old for such games. I was at my favorite aunt's town house. She had always sheltered me when my cousins had played a little too rough for me. Which was almost all the time. I clenched my eyes shut to escape the memories that started to attack me. As the youngest I had endured the brunt of their teasing and... preferred method of punishment.

_"Hey, Kaoru! Come on, don't you want to play?"_

_I shook my head viciously, knowing what was coming. It was always the same. No one to help me, no one to save me. They all hated me. They all called me names. Even when I was too young to understand. I just knew that they didn't like me. I had something they didn't. Something they would never have._

_"Come here, you whore! Don't you want to play our game? You get to be the main character."_

_I shook my head again and started to back away. Enishi had always been the worst. Somehow I was his favorite target, though. I was acting like a child and I knew it. I had been forced to grow up and grow up quickly, but I still reverted to the lost child when he approached me. He made me... helpless._

_My uncle would be ashamed I was sure. At this moment I didn't care. He was approaching me and that evil smile was playing on his lips. I knew what that meant. I was not going to get out of this situation without my fair share of new scars._

_The royal family is a terrible place to be born into, I thought. It was not the first time, I had thought it. As the only child born to the king and queen I lived a life of comfort and security. In my parent's arms, anyway. However, as a girl, I was also harassed. It had been my parent's choice that condemned me._

_They had named me their heir instead of one of the boys._

_Enishi cracked his knuckles and I backed myself into the wall. "No where to go, Kaoru-hime," he whispered, his fist caressing my cheek lightly._

_I swallowed and my breathing grew harsh. I wanted to scream, but didn't dare. If I screamed, it would be worse. He would make sure of it. So I stood there silently as his hands began to wander down my newly developed body. His lips were against my ear and he was murmuring disgusting things._

_"Only sixteen... And yet so perfect. It will never tire me..."_

I was forced back to reality by the sound of their footsteps. They were close. They always were. My aunt couldn't keep them out for long by herself. She was older. They were stronger.

"What do you think you're doing under there?"

I screamed. I couldn't help it. I hadn't been expecting him so soon. But there he was. Right behind me. I jumped and my head hit the top of the table. He laughed at me. I gripped my head even as my eyes started roving the area, looking for a way to get out of the situation and knowing there was none. My eyes rested on the window, taking in the pattern of the drapery.

"E-Enishi!" I gasped out, wrapping my arms around the table leg. He was going to have to drag me out.

"Get out of there before I have to pry you out," he grit out, taking hold of one of my ankles. His hands were filthy and I could almost feel the dirt creeping onto my white stockings. I fought the urge to gag.

I kicked the leg he wasn't holding and caught him under the chin. A lucky shot, he would say later. I knew better. I had been trying to learn to defend myself.

"You bitch!" His hand tightened and dug into my ankle. I whimpered.

"Enishi?" Tomoe. The one person who could control him.

"This isn't over," he promised quietly as he released me. "Tomoe-chan!"

"Where are you?" she called, her voice growing closer.

"I'm coming! I was in the dining room..."

I let out a relieved sigh when he walked away towards his sister. My hold on the table lessened and I let my eyes drift around. I knew I should get up. Enishi would be back and under the table would be the first place he looked.

Again my eyes fell on the window. Maybe I could escape. I couldn't use the front door, not while Enishi was here. He would have one eye on the door at all times. But the window... I'd never tried to use a window before and he thought it was safe to leave it unguarded.

I started to ease out from under the table when someone passed by the window. I held in a gasp, wondering if it was another of my cousins. However, none of my cousins had the startlingly red hair that I was seeing through the window.

His eyes turned inward and I saw his eyebrows knot in confusion. I sank back into my hiding place, playing with the idea that maybe they'd found someone else to torture me for a while. Someone I didn't know.

"Hello?" he called into the open window. I met his eyes and didn't make a sound. "Are you all right?"

I shook my head and motioned for him to be quiet. His eyebrows furrowed further. He put his hands on the window sill and looked at me, but kept silent like I asked. My eyes darted around the room, trying to see if there was any sign of Enishi.

I slowly crept out from under the table and walked towards the window, my ears alert for the sound of footsteps on hardwood floors. "What do you want?" I asked when I was close enough to whisper so he could hear me.

He looked taken aback. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, fine. What do you want?" I asked again.

"I saw that guy-"

My eyes widened and I clasped my hands over his mouth. "Be quiet! Are you stupid? Do not speak of what you saw," I told him.

"Mmrph," he mumbled from under my hands. His hands had come up to cradle my wrists, but gently. I had started when they first touched me, my wrists remembering a much harsher touch than his. However, when the pressure didn't increase, I relaxed a bit.

My hands fell away from his mouth and he released my wrists. I pulled my index finger up to cover my lips, gesturing for him to remain silent. If Enishi knew that there was a stranger that had seen him attacking me... It would not be good. For either of us.

He nodded his understanding, although I could tell he was confused.

"Kaoru!"

My eyes widened and I spun around, expecting Enishi to be lurking right there. He wasn't, but he also wasn't far. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't hide anymore, but I couldn't let him get me again, either.

"Come with me."

I lifted startled eyes to the stranger. "What?"

"Come with me," he repeated, gesturing to the window. "Come on!"

I didn't have time. I planted my hands on the window sill and vaulted myself over and out. I grabbed the man's hand and started running towards the back of the house. There were endless shortcuts into the other parts of town in the alleyways back there. And I knew them all by heart.

"This way!" I uttered breathlessly as I tugged him down into an alley that fed into yet another.

"Where are we going?" he asked, running alongside me now, his fingers still tangled with mine.

"Anywhere," I answered, my eyes scanning my surroundings.

"Kaoru!"

I let out a small curse and desperately thought of a way out of this situation. I chanced a look at my companion to find him looking at me as we ran.

"I take it you're Kaoru?" he asked.

"I have that displeasure, yes," I affirmed, ducking down another alley. "If we keep moving, we might be able to outrun him, but-"

"I have an idea."

I was surprised and pleased. "You do?"

"Yes. You have to trust me though." There was uncertainty in his voice.

"I trust you," I told him. It was odd, but it was true. I'd only just met him, but he had my trust. He had certainly done more for me in this short period of time than any of my cousins had done in my whole life.

I could see the surprise in his eyes, but it quickly vanished as he grinned at me. I decided I liked his smile and I wanted to see more of it. Just as I was about to ask why he needed me to trust him, I found that he was now the one leading. He was leading me through the nooks and crannies like he'd moved them his whole life. Maybe he had.

All of a sudden we stopped. We were at a dead end. I cast him a concerned look. Surely this wasn't where he had meant to go? He was grinning again. I wanted to smile back at him, but all of a sudden I was nervous. Maybe my instincts had been wrong. Maybe he was no better than Enishi...?

I almost screamed when he carefully eased me into the corner to the dead end. Wet brick met my back and I turned large eyes on him. He pressed a finger to my lips before taking a deep breath.

"This is the part where I need you to trust me," he told me, pressing closer to me in the corner. "I promise I won't hurt you."

I nodded, my fears subsiding slightly. Until I heard footfalls, followed closely by my name echoing in the dark. I clutched at his jacket, still staring at him, waiting, desperate. He gave me a reassuring smile and then he leaned down so his face was close to mine.

"Trust," he whispered again, his breath ghosting along my lips. I inhaled, realizing what he meant to do. I hesitated. He hushed me and brushed my hair away from my face.

"Trust," I repeated, swallowing.

"Yes," he answered.

"Kaoru!!"

"It's time," he murmured. And then his lips were on mine. I forgot about everything. Enishi, running away, the dark, dank alley... It all disappeared as his lips slowly moved against mine. His lips were soft. It was the first thing I noticed. The second was that his kisses were much nicer than Enishi's. Gentler. Loving, almost. My eyes drifted closed and my fingers loosened out of their death grip on the lapels of his jacket.

This was nice. I'd never had someone kiss me quite the way he was. I was enjoying it. I never wanted it to end. Lucky for me, it seemed that he didn't want it to end, either. I felt his tongue tease the seam of my lips and I opened right away. I was glad I did. His tongue wasn't lashing, but rather making a careful exploration of my whole mouth, as if taking notes on it.

I shyly touched my tongue to his and felt his arms tighten around me. I hadn't even realized he was holding me. And I liked the way it felt to be held like that. As if nothing would ever hurt me again. I leaned into his embrace.

But he pulled his tongue from my mouth and gave my lips another chaste kiss before pulling away just enough to see my eyes. His were a bright shining amber that made what was left of my breath catch.

"I'm glad you trusted me," he said at length.

I giggled, smiling. "Me. too! I'm Kaoru," I introduced myself since there hadn't been much time to earlier- aside from when Enishi was screaming my name.

"Kenshin," he replied. "Maybe we could do this again?"

If there hadn't been a brick wall behind me, I would have thrown my head back and laughed. "I think that would be nice," I told him.

It looked like things were about to get interesting in my life.

Owari

a/n: I know, it's begging for another piece, but I'm really undecided and possible unmotivated lol I guess only time will tell.


	19. Chapter 19: Trust: Part II

a/n: Okay, here it is. The continuation of last chapter. Before I rant about stupid things, I want to take the time to thank everyone who reviewed and gave me lots of motivation to find the next piece of this story. It took me a little while, but I finally finished it. I'm not totally happy with it, but for now, I'm at peace with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Trust:  
Part II

So it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Kenshin had told me that he wanted to be a permanent fixture in my life. But it wasn't really all that easy; telling him I was a princess was... hard. Not that I thought it would be easy, but... Every time I saw him, he would look at me like I was hiding something, which I was, and it killed me.

I had been taking the time in my day that Enishi usually came looking for me and sneaking away to see him. He was curious about the odd times I was available, but I was vague, simply telling him that I had duties to attend to. He shrugged it off each time, but I could tell it bothered him. I was going to have to tell him. For sure. He was consorting with a princess without knowing it. I knew a lot of people who would be pissed. And to make matters worse, he wasn't a noble. I was guessing, of course, based on his living situation and such things.

I guess that's why I've held off for so long. I don't want to lose him. I'm afraid that he'll think that I am, for lack of better terms, out of his league and leave. That's the last thing I want. Whether he realized it or not, he was helping me. Enishi's no longer able to back me into dark shadows and take advantage of me because I'm simply not around to take advantage of anymore. It was only a matter of time before he got more creative, though, I'm sure.

I sighed and looked up at the sky, ignoring my lessons for the moment. Okay, for the last several moments. My thoughts had drifted, it was true. It's just... Kenshin made me so confused.

"Kaoru!" My attention snapped back. I flushed and endured the tongue lashing I knew I deserved. It looked like my thoughts would just have to wait.

* * *

I was on my way to see Kenshin when he got creative, just like I'd predicted. I screamed. A reflex. His hand clamped down over my mouth as he pulled me into an empty room. I bit down on his hand and he cursed. The empty room turned out to be a bedroom. He let me go and I stumbled back just as he backhanded me across the face. I clenched at my smarting cheek while tears filled my eyes.

I was not going to be a victim again. Not anymore. I'd had a taste of freedom and I loved it. I wasn't going back to this. I let go of my cheek and stood up. He watched, amused. I took a fighting stance. He actually laughed.

"What do you think you're going to do?" he asked, advancing upon me.

"Enishi..." His name was the only warning I gave. I pulled back and punched him across the face as hard as I could. Just like my uncle had taught me.

"You little bitch!" he shouted, anger filling his eyes. I didn't know whether I should be smug about landing the blow or terrified of the intentions gleaming in his eyes. Maybe a little of both.

I tried to land another blow but he grasped my forearms and pushed me against the wall. I kicked my legs out, hoping to inflict some kind of pain, but he simply pinned me, using his lower body to block mine. And then he was laughing.

"You think you're so high and mighty, just because you're the princess, but you're nothing but a whore! Look at you!" I ducked my head, not wanting to look at him. I was disgusted. He was the one who had made a whore. So why did I feel so ashamed? "I know about you," he continued. "I know all about your new lover."

That caught my attention. New lover? What lover? I couldn't picture doing the horrible things people constituted as "love making." Maybe he was babbling. He did that sometimes.

"You look surprised, love," he sneered, pushing my body harder against the wall, his hands tightening around my arms. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

I cast my eyes down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He let out a bark of laughter. "Don't you? I followed you, sweetheart! To your redheaded devil's house!"

I still, all efforts to fight back ceasing. He knew. He knew about Kenshin. Which meant that Kenshin was in danger. I felt sick for a totally different reason than Enishi's hands on my skin. His hands that had started to move up and down my arms.

"Don't worry, sweets. I'll make you forget him..."

His hands shifted so that they were wrapped around my waist and my arms were trapped against his chest. His fingers worked the buttons on the back of my gown. I squirmed until my hands were somewhat useable. I pounded on his chest, crying out. He grit his teeth and pushed his lips against mine to silence me. My hands continued to press for freedom, though.

He pulled away and shoved me to the ground. I fumbled to my hands and knees, trying to crawl away enough to stand up and run. He wasn't far behind, I knew. I managed to get to the door and grappled for the knob. I caught it and pulled myself to my feet just as he caught up to me. He grabbed me around the waist and hauled my feet off the floor.

"Let me go!" I shouted, kicking and punching in every direction.

"No."

He threw me on the bed, using his weight to hold me in place this time. I kicked at him, but he fixed that problem, shifting his lower body so that they had limited range of motion. I bit my lip and thought hard. What to do, what to do... I thought about everything I'd been taught. His hand slid up my leg and hitched my knee length dress up.

I closed my eyes and did my best to relax my body. If I could lull him into a false sense of security, I had a chance. His hands were still roving up and down my thighs. His breath was on my face. His legs were trapping mine.

After a few moments of no resistance from me his legs began to loosen up. I fought the urge to jerk up and try to get away. Not yet. Not quite. His hands moved up my body for a second before turning to his own body, working to take his shirt off. Stupid. In that moment I pushed him as hard as I could and rolled off the bed.

I didn't look behind me as I made a sprint for the door. I could hear him cursing behind me, but I didn't stop. I yanked the door open and ran out, breaking to my right. If there was one distinct advantage I had at this moment, it was the fact that I'd lived in the palace my whole life and while Enishi visited quite a bit, he didn't know any of the secret passages.

I ducked down a hallway and pulled a specific book from the case on the right against the wall. The bookcase opened in and I rushed in, yanking it closed behind me. I heard his footsteps pound past as he continued his search.

It was a long time before I felt safe enough to come out.

* * *

I felt bad. It had been a long time since I'd seen Kenshin. I'd been in hiding. I didn't want to come out. I was still shaken from my last encounter with Enishi. After having avoided him for so long it was a shock to find that he still wanted to punish me whenever possible. So I found new ways to avoid him that didn't involve leaving. It was selfish of me, but I couldn't help it.

I threw my head back and sighed. I was being stupid. I couldn't sit around being afraid my whole life. I missed Kenshin. I missed the way he made me feel safe. I needed to see him again. Even if it meant facing my fears. He probably thought I'd forgotten about him or decided I didn't want to see him again. I wondered if I could explain my absence without telling him what happened. Has been happening.

I took a deep breath and stood up from the chair I'd been sitting on in the servants quarters. I was going to go. Today. I would leave through the servants entrance, though. This was one place Enishi refused to come, thinking it too far below his station. To me, these people were family. The fact that they could keep me safe just made me adore them more.

I fixed my skirts and tugged my stockings up my legs. I pulled a jacket on and headed towards the exit. Tsubame flashed me a smile and bid me farewell. I promised to visit again later this week, if not the very next day. And then I was on my way.

It took me longer than usual because I didn't want to take the main roads. There was a chance someone would see me. I usually didn't care, but something... I just didn't want to do it. Maybe I was still jumpy from my last encounter with Enishi. I didn't know.

By the time I made into his village, I was tired. I hadn't been doing a lot of anything lately. That meant my usual physical workout had been cut out. I wished I hadn't. Besides making me lazy, it was the only thing that was teaching me defense. I had come a long way, but as my uncle kept telling me, I had a ways to go still.

He was at his door, standing in the frame of it. His eyes were roving the area, taking everything in. Everything but me. I continued my trek forward, my heart racing. I was so happy to see him. I knew the second he saw me. His eyes widened and he smiled. I smiled back. He started towards me.

"Kaoru," he said, pulling me in for a hug. "Where have you been?"

"Busy," I answered mysteriously. "I have something to tell you."

He raised an eyebrow in what I assumed was curiosity. "Oh?"

"Yes. But not here," I said quickly. "Is there somewhere else we can go to talk?"

He nodded and pulled me into the house. We walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. I glanced at the windows for a moment before meeting his questioning gaze. I took a deep breath before I started.

"I've been keeping secrets," I began, swallowing. "That is, I haven't been... completely honest. About who I am. What I am," I continued, looking at him for an indication of how he was taking it.

He laughed. Amazingly. I blinked. "Oh, Kaoru," he said, shaking his head. "It's okay. I knew who and what you were the second I intervened that day at the window."

"I-you-what?" I finally settled on, confused.

"You're the princess," he confirmed, nodding. "I know that."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I demanded.

"It wasn't important. I like you for you," he told me, reaching across the table to grasp my hand. "Not your status."

I stared at our linked hands for a moment. Then I smiled, looking back up. I liked the way his hand felt against mine. Soft and cool. Wonderful.

He smiled back. "Now, where have you been? At first I put it up to royal duties, but you said you'd only be a few days and it's been over a week."

I frowned. Did I really want to tell him about Enishi? And more importantly, what would I possibly say? I didn't know. It was hard. I'd never told anyone about the abuse I continue to suffer at Enishi's hands. It was too hard. And no one would believe me. At least not within the royal family. My aunt was perhaps the only exception along with my uncle. He doesn't know exactly what is going on, but he has an idea.

I licked my lips and peeked up at Kenshin. How would he take it? Would he be disgusted? Would he think I was dirty? I swallowed. I don't think I would be able to bear that. I could feel moisture gathering at the corners of my eyes and I rapidly blinked it away, hoping that he didn't notice. I should have known better.

"It was nothing," I whispered, pulling my hand from his. "I promise not to be so long in between visits next time."

"Kaoru," he said softly, his eyes absorbing mine. I looked away. I was so ashamed. I didn't even know what I was ashamed of. Myself? Perhaps. I certainly didn't feel worthy of the looks he was giving me.

"Yes?" I answered, folding my hands in front of me.

He frowned. "Kaoru, what happened?"

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly. I wasn't ready for this conversation. Not at all.

"Kaoru," he repeated my name a third time, this time there was the barest hint of warning in his tone, "what happened? Was it that man-"

"What?"

"The one I saw with you that day. He was pulling you."

I blinked. "No," I lied. "No."

He stared at me for a long time before he spoke again. "You can tell me," he said quietly.

And I didn't know what to do. He said so convincingly. Like everything would be okay if I told him. As if it would never happen again. I stared into his eyes again, searching their depths for something I could work with. Reassurance. I didn't want him to hate me. I was so sure that he would, if he knew. After all, I wasn't married and I was... defiled. Anyone would be disgusted. I knew that.

And yet, his eyes promised that he wouldn't be. I don't know exactly what I saw within his violet eyes, but it made me want to spill my soul. And I did. God, help me, I did. I crumpled. The words came out before I could stop them and so did the tears. They spilled over my cheeks as I sobbed out my story, beginning to end.

At some point he stood up and sat next to me, pulling me into his chest. I gripped the material of his shirt and cried into him. He felt so good. It made me cry harder. Part of me was relieved, though. It was out. It felt good to tell someone else.

He held me long after my sniffles had subsided and I was grateful. After a while, though, he started to loosen up on me. He didn't let me go, but he tilted my head up so I could look at him. His eyes were burning with some unnamed emotion. I couldn't place it. I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"I won't let him do this to you again," he swore, his gaze holding mine.

I let out a shuddering breath. "You can't promise that," I told him. "You're not there."

"But I will be," he said. "I will be."

"I don't understand."

"I'm in your father's employ," he explained. "I'm due to depart to the palace this week. I was going to tell you today."

I froze, his words seeping in. He was coming to the palace. "What..."

"I'm to be a bodyguard and protector to the only heir to the throne. Your uncle deemed it necessary," he elaborated, his thumbs sliding back and forth across my cheeks.

"I..."

"I will be with you everyday from now on."

I didn't know what to say. Enishi was going to have to go through Kenshin from now on. For a moment, I was worried as his words rang through my head._ I know all about your new lover. _Enishi was a formidable opponent. He was skilled in several forms of fighting. But then, Kenshin must be also, for my father to choose him.

Finally, I smiled. I trusted Kenshin. I trusted him to keep me safe. I trusted him to protect me. And, maybe, just maybe, I think I might love him. I pushed forward and captured his lips with mine in a soft, chaste kiss. He pulled back after a moment, smiling.

I was going to be okay.

Owari


	20. Chapter 20: Trust: Part III

a/n: Because it just didn't feel right to end it there... And if anyone looks at my profile ever, they'll see that this has turned into a mini-epic. It's going to four parts in total (unless that ending doesn't feel right either) and this is part three. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers who make me warm and fuzzy and make me feel like, yes, I can write the continuations to this, even when I don't feel like it! :D

P.S. Can you do a P.S. during an a/n? I don't know. I'm doing it anyway. If you guys ever want to know what's up with me, but can't bring yourselves to PM, check out my homepage. It's currently set as my twitter, so expect everything from hating on my curriculum to how I feel that day. Scattered amongst it will be my writing schedule as soon as I get on that. So now, finally, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Trust:  
Part III

To say that Enishi wasn't pleased was an understatement. He spent most of his time loitering around the palace and scowling. He'd tried to get to me once since Kenshin had started, and he'd been carefully dismissed from the room.

I, on the other hand, was very happy. Kenshin was always there. He was my best friend, my protector, my... everything. I smiled in what I was sure a very silly way and twirled the ends of my hair in a lazy motion. I was in the library, waiting for him. He'd said he had something to take care of and he'd be right with me. That had been ten minutes ago.

I frowned slightly and wondered what was keeping him. I had tea laid on the table in front of me and it was getting cold. I dropped my hair and stood up from the straight backed chair I'd been occupying. He never took this long to do anything. Or rather, he never left me alone this long. He knew I didn't like to be alone anymore.

I headed towards the doors, determined to find him while keeping to the passages. I opened the door softly and turned right down the corridor. I wish he'd told me what it was he had to do. Then I maybe would have had an idea as to where he would be within the palace.

However, since I had no idea, I settled for meandering down the halls, a hand running across the stone of the walls as I went. My footsteps made quiet shuffling sounds as my flats scraped against the stone floors. I kept my eyes wide as I turned a corner and heard voices. My eyes narrowed and I stopped moving for a moment, trying to identify the speakers.

No idea.

I kept walking. Slowly, silently. I didn't want to be caught eavesdropping, but I didn't want to walk into the middle of an argument. Especially if it was the maids. They're fights were the worst. And they always wanted my opinion on the matter at hand, no matter what it was. I sighed quietly and peeked around a corner as the voices became louder.

The voices were distinctly male and when my head tilted around the corner their identities were revealed to me. I had found Kenshin. But I'd also found Enishi. I stifled my gasp and whipped my head back for a moment before curiosity got the better of me.

Kenshin had Enishi up against the wall, his hand fisted in the other's shirt. It was slightly awkward, since Enishi was taller than he was, but there was murder filling his eyes, making him much more intimidating than Enishi. He shoved him and said something else.

"You even look at her," he warned, "and you won't have to worry about what her father or uncle will do to you, because there won't be enough of you left for them after I'm through with you."

I swallowed a gasp and pressed my back to the wall. He was threatening Enishi. That much was absolutely clear. I licked my lips and stepped away from the wall and headed back towards the library. I didn't want Kenshin to think that I'd been spying on him, even if I had been. It hadn't been intentional, at least not at first.

The walk back was a blur and I found myself at the same seat I had been in before I knew it. My mind was spinning. There were too many things to think about. I'd come to think of Kenshin as my protector, but I never realized what exactly it entailed. The fact that he had taken to verbally and practically physically threatening Enishi gave me mixed emotions. Part of me was happy and ridiculously so. However, that happiness brought on shame. How could I be happy that another was suffering? A part of me argued that I could be happy because the one that was suffering was the one who had made me suffer so much.

I sighed. The other part of what was nagging at the edge of my brain would have to wait because Kenshin came in at that moment and sat down next to me. I greeted him with a small smile and gestured to the tea.

"It's cold now, but it should still taste good," I told him, my smile strained. I was ready to burst. I wanted to ask him about his confrontation with Enishi. Maybe I would. "What took you?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much. Just a minor... issue," he finished, his eyes raising from the tea to meet mine.

My eyebrows rose as I gave him a skeptical look. "Oh? Would this issue happened to have turned violent?" I asked innocently, laying a scone on a small plate before passing it to him.

He swallowed. "Not particularly."

"What do you classify as violence?" I asked, standing up so that I was towering over him. He was silent, his eyes assessing me. It was rather obvious that he'd put the pieces together by now, so I trudged forward. "Maybe slamming someone up against the wall?"

"Kaoru-"

"I just want to know why," I asked quietly. I didn't want him to think that I was mad at him, because I wasn't, I was just slightly... confused.

"For you," he answered just as quietly.

"Kenshin, I don't want you to hurt people for me. I hate violence," I tossed back, sitting down across from him once more.

"I would do anything for you," he whispered, his hands reaching forward to grab mine. "Anything."

My eyes softened as I took him in. He was dangerous. I knew that. I could feel it rolling off him in waves, but those waves were crashing into other ones that screamed of affection and caring. He was more than just dangerous. He was creating a problem for me and my heart. He was breaking me down, slowly, picking me apart until he knew me better than I did. I didn't know if I liked that.

"I know," I finally said, lacing my fingers through his. I dropped my eyes to our linked hands. This was something we liked to do. We held hands a lot. I needed the assurance that he was there, but I didn't know what he got out of it. He certainly seemed to enjoy it, though.

He brushed my bangs out of my eyes with his free hand. His fingers lingered for a moment, sweeping down my face until they were under my chin. He tilted my face until our eyes met. I saw him processing everything he saw within my eyes. His were a bottomless amethyst with flecks of amber swirling through them.

"Kaoru," he started. "What is bothering you so much?"

I was quiet. I didn't know what to say. What was bothering me? Well there was what he did to me, first off. Every time I was with Kenshin I just... There's no words that properly describe it. I'm happy in a way I've never been before. I feel safe, which I've also never been before. And... there was that word I never wanted to say. I'd only admitted it to myself once before, but now I was almost completely positive...

I shook my head. "Nothing much." I switched gears, my mind moving back to its interrupted thoughts from earlier when he came into the library. "Do you... do you think my father and uncle know what he's been doing?" I asked.

He nodded. "I told them."

"You... what?!" I yanked my hand from his, my eyes flaring as I stood up again.

"Don't overreact-"

"Don't overreact!" I hissed back. "Why!?" I demanded.

"They needed to know. And I needed to know if I would be permitted to intervene," he answered diplomatically. I vaguely noted that he had much better control over his emotions than I did.

I flopped back into my seat. "I was never going to tell them," I murmured, crossing my arms over my chest. "Never."

"Your uncle already had an idea, love," he confirmed what I'd already been suspicious of.

I bit my lip. "How did my father take it?"

"Not well." It was all he said, but his lips tightened in a way I'd never seen.

I sighed and brought a hand up to my eyes. They were still dry, thank God, but with the emotional rollercoaster I'd been riding lately, I knew they wouldn't stay that way long. I took a deep breath before removing my hand and opening my eyes. He was still staring at me. Not that I'd expected him to have looked away. I shook my head.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching for my hand again. I let him have it as I contemplated his words. _Was _I okay? I would be. Even if I wasn't now, I would be. Enishi had too many eyes on him to do something now. My father hadn't mentioned anything to me and most likely wouldn't. My uncle would act the same as always. And Kenshin...

Just his name sent my thoughts spiraling. Were we going to be okay? What were we? To each other? I was in love with him. That was clear to me. I knew he had affections for me and liked spending time with me, which was a good thing because he was with me a lot. The only time we were apart was for bed and still, he slept in the room next to mine.

I fought back another sigh. How did I answer that question? "Yes," I said steadily. "I'm okay."

He nodded and pulled me into his arms. I fell into his lap and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, resting my head on his. I felt his arms wrap themselves around my waist and tighten. I liked being close like this. I wasn't worried that he'd pull something. He just liked to be near me. And that was okay with me. Now I just needed to figure out how he felt about me and if he would be willing to explore something more... emotional with me.

That would be the next major conversation we had.

a/n: Sooo? Is it living up to all of your expectations thus far? Lemme know! Much love!


	21. Chapter 21: Trust: Part IV

a/n: And here it is! What I'm _planning_ as the _last _part of this little mini-series. My mind can always change, though, depending on how I feel after a couple re-reads. So nothing definite, but read it like there won't be another part. Please and thank you :D

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Trust:  
Part IV

I was laying on my bed. It was late. I was tired, but I couldn't drop off. I'd been trying for the past three hours with no luck. I'd tried everything I'd ever learned about falling asleep. Counting sheep was totally useless. It didn't make me tired. It just made my mind work harder as it tried to count and juggle my thoughts at the same time. I refused to send for warm milk since I knew how hard the staff worked and I didn't want to wake them for something so stupid. But at the same time, I refused to get up and get it myself. I hated the dark and I hated being alone.

And right now I was in the dark and I was alone. Normally this didn't bother me because I was asleep. I almost never had issues sleeping. But something was keeping me awake tonight. I rolled over and stared out the window. I'd forgotten to draw the drapes before bed so now the stars were twinkling merrily at me.

As I stared off into the night I pondered the reason my mind was so thoughtful. I'd certainly had enough things to pour over during the last few weeks. But I think I knew what was making it so hard to turn my mind off.

I'd had a meeting with my father, the King, this afternoon.

_"Kaoru."_

_I curtsied respectfully and bowed my head down. "Father."_

_"Look at me, child," he said gently. And I did. I stared up at the man I'd admired since before I could remember. He was smiling, something he didn't do as often as he used to. _

_I was about to ask him why he had summoned me when he started to talk again. "I have not been as observant as I should have. I have not guarded you as I should have. Instead, I threw you in harms way."_

_I started to protest, stepping forward._

_He shook his head. "No. There is no defending my ignorance. If I had only paid more attention, you would have been spared this pain." He paused, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "The only thing I can do now is try and make the future bright for you."_

_"Father?" I asked, confused. "How-"_

_"Kenshin," he started to explain. "He is disposing of Enishi. He has been exiled for treason. I would have had him executed, but I knew that is not what you would have wanted."_

_I blinked and swallowed. I knew that my father hadn't taken the news of my... treatment, well, but I didn't think he'd banish his brother's son. Hell, he'd wanted to kill him, even. The only thing that had stopped him was me. My eyes began to water. It had been a long time since I realized how very much my father loved me. I brushed my tears away and graced him with a bright smile._

_"Thank you, father," I told him, still smiling. _

_"I would do anything for you, angel..."_

I blew my bangs up and out of my eyes and thought about that conversation. Kenshin had been the one to inform my father of Enishi's actions, thus spurring his decision to exile him. And then Kenshin was put in charge of escorting him out of the territory. I closed my eyes. Kenshin had done so much for me.

That gave me an idea.

It made me wonder briefly about sneaking over to Kenshin's room. We had a connecting door in case of emergencies so I wouldn't even have to leave my room. I knew I'd sleep if I went over there, too. I'd be too relaxed to do anything else. There was something about him that just calmed me down. Made me feel peaceful. So I swung my legs over the side of my bed and slowly crept towards the door.

I knocked lightly and said his name. "Kenshin?"

After a few moments, when there was no response, I opened the door. It fell open with a soft click and revealed the room, cloaked in darkness. I gave my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the new darkness before stepping into the room. It was empty. Or rather, I didn't see Kenshin anywhere and I knew he would have met me at the door if he knew I was there.

I stepped in and eyed his bed. I could wait till he returned. I sat down on the edge of the bed and breathed in deeply. The whole room smelled just like him. Unable to resist, I laid down against his pillows and pulled his blankets up around my shoulders. I inhaled again. It smelled of sandalwood and pine. I let my eyes drift closed and smiled. I was so comfy. I didn't understand why his bed was so much cozier than my own.

But then again, I didn't really care. I was finally falling into that oblivion and after a few moments, I was gone.

* * *

I was very warm when I woke up. Comfortably so, though. I mumbled in incoherent pleasure and buried my face deeper into the pillows. It was so nice. I don't think I'd ever woken up so... relaxed before. It felt wonderful.

"Are you awake?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin before I remembered that I'd crawled into Kenshin's bed in the middle of the night. My eyes snapped open and the first thing I saw was his hair. It was spread across the pillows, mixing with mine. Something within me stirred at the sight. Slowly I let my eyes wander up from his hair to his neck and then to his face, which was hovering above mine. A smirk was playing on his lips.

I scowled. "What?"

"I came in late last night and found you all curled up in my bed," he informed me, cradling his head in his palm while he let his elbow take the majority of his weight. "Why is that?"

"I couldn't sleep," I admitted. "I just wanted to talk. And you weren't here and..." I let my eyes drop to the bed. I didn't want to tell him that his scent had made me lay down. That I felt safe with his scent wrapped around me.

He chuckled and laid back down before pulling me into his arms so that his palm was flat against the small of my back while the other pillowed my head. I sighed and gave in, burying my face into the material of his night shirt. It was soft and I liked the way it felt against my skin.

"Shall we talk now?" he asked, laying his head on mine.

"No," I whispered. "Just hold me." I felt him nod carefully against my head and I smiled.

We did have things to talk about, though. Not yet, I silently swore. Not quite. I wasn't quite ready to tell him that he'd become my whole life. That I was in love with him. That I'd be utterly and completely lost without him. I closed my eyes and squeezed him tighter, loving the feeling of security I got just from having him near.

He pressed me closer in response and I sighed happily.

"Kaoru?"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you thinking?" he asked softly,

All these things I don't know if I can tell you, I thought. I knew I couldn't keep it bottled up forever, but... Oh, what if this wasn't love? I'd never been in love before. What if he wasn't in love with me? What if he just felt a sort of affection for me that didn't surpass lust? Too many questions and I was afraid to get the answers to any of them.

So I stayed silent for as long as I could. Finally I sighed and his arms tightened for a moment before easing up and he laid a kiss the top of my head. I tucked my head further into him and contemplated my words carefully before actually answering.

"What are we doing?" I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. What is this? What are we?

"What do you mean?"

"This," I elaborated, opening my eyes again. "Us. What are we doing?"

It was his turn to be silent and I tugged myself out of his arms just enough so that I could lift my head and look at him. His eyes were thoughtful and full of something else I couldn't place as he considered my question. I bit my lip and waited. I never realized how agonizing waiting could be.

And then he spoke. "This," he started, "is us. This is you and me," he said, rolling us so that I was on my back and he was leaning over me.

"Yes, I understand that, but what are we _doing?" _He hadn't answered the question.

"What are we doing," he repeated, dropping his head to leave a sweet kiss on my cheek. "We are exploring one another, I suppose."

"Exploring," I said, lacing my fingers through his when he grasped my hands in his.

"Yes," he affirmed, his lips ghosting across mine. "Exploring these feelings..."

"Feelings?" I felt useless. All I could do was repeat his words like a child. However, I could hardly be blamed as he was distracting me with his mouth. It was sweeping patterns across my face in teasing caresses.

He nodded. "I feel a lot of things for you, Kaoru."

My heart leapt into my throat and I struggled to swallow it back down. "Like?"

He shook his head, smiling. "Oh, Kaoru... I think I may be in love with you," he murmured.

I froze in his arms, uncertain if I'd heard him correctly. "I-"

"No," he said, shaking his head again, "I _know _I'm in love with you," he corrected himself.

I blinked rapidly to disburse the tears building there. I couldn't remember the last time someone had actually _told _me that they loved me. My father showed his affection through his actions, but there was still something about _hearing _those words. They made me want to weep.

And weep I did. Right there in Kenshin's arms. I had a mini breakdown and I could tell it distressed him. He sat up and tugged me into his arms, asking what was wrong, and cradling me to him as he rocked me. I tried to calm down enough to tell him that it was all right and that I was fine. That I loved him, too.

I swiped at my eyes and attempted to calm my breathing. And then I was laughing. This was so stupid. I was so happy that I was balling my eyes out. Poor Kenshin. He probably thought I didn't feel the same. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I forced some room in between us and I took his face in my hands. My tears were started to abate and I felt like my breathing was at a reasonable rate. I met his eyes with everything I felt shining from my eyes.

"Oh, Kenshin," I whispered. "I knew I loved you since the moment I saw you."

I nosed forward until my lips met his. Soft, sweet. It was short. Just enough to show that I cared. And then I withdrew from him, my forehead resting against his. There was a smile upon his lips and his hand came up to gently caress my cheek.

"You know what this means?" he asked.

I shook my head and licked my lips.

I saw his eyes flash briefly before he said, "Things are going to change. For the better."

I nodded. Things were going to change. Starting with a royal wedding, if I had my way. And princesses _always_ got there way, I thought happily as he leaned down to kiss me once more.

Always.

Owari!

a/n: I really liked this little series and while I'm sad to see it go, I've already got some completely different stuff for the next drabble that I'm really excited about. As always, let me know what you thought, and thank you!!


	22. Chapter 22: I Love You

a/n: I blame this one on the sneak. She's riddled my mind with Next to Normal and inspired me to write something for RK. Possibly more to come. Possibly related to this piece, possibly not. We'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or N2N.

I Love You

She stared at him, disbelief obvious in her eyes. There was no way... She shook her head and laughed at him. She stifled it after a moment, realizing that was probably rude. Then she blinked and looked up at him again.

His expression was the same.

"Kenshin," she started. "I don't..."

"You don't have to understand. Just knowing is enough."

She licked her lips. "This is..."

He laughed. "I know. It's odd. I just... I had to say it."

"It's fucked up. I'm fucked up."

"No, you're not," he said, shaking his head. He swept a stray hair away from her blue eyes. "You're perfect. Perfect for me."

She swallowed and averted her eyes. He was just being nice, she told herself, taking a deep breath. He'd never shown an interest in her before, had he? She thought about it. She didn't think he had, but...

After school. In the music room. They were rehearsing. He was singing. She was playing. He was smiling. And amazingly, so was she. She never smiled. Not anymore. So... So maybe he had shown interest and she'd been stupid about it.

She met his gaze after a few minutes. He was still staring at her. It was almost expectant, but she knew it wasn't. He meant it when he said it was enough that she knew. She knew that. She exhaled and then smiled softly.

"I need some time, I think," she told him.

He nodded. "That's fine. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking down at her feet.

She felt him sit beside her, but didn't look up again. She felt his fingers brush hers, but she still didn't look. She only looked when he made her. He grasped her chin with his free hand and gently tilted her face till her eyes were level with his.

"Kaoru. Just know... I love you. Fucked up or not, I love you."

She tried to hide her smile, but couldn't. For now, this was enough.

Owari


	23. Chapter 23: Over?

a/n: Another one to blame on the sneak. It loosely follows the last one, but it can be read by itself. And it'll have another piece that goes after this. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or N2N.

Over?

She'd been missing for weeks. Well, not exactly missing. He knew where she'd been. She'd been home, avoiding school. And he hated that. He hated that she wasn't there with him. He hated that he had to endure without her.

He sighed and tapped his fingers against the cold picnic table he was at. His thoughts were out of control lately, he mused as he stared at the clouds. They swirled around her and only her. He was falling behind in his studies and his grades were suffering.

He bit his lip and brought his eyes back down to the ground. Where he saw someone approaching. And not just anyone. It was her. A smile lit his face and he jumped up from the picnic table.

"Hey! There you are," he said, grinning at her.

She shot him a mocking smile and walked past him to the table he'd just vacated. He followed her and watched as she sat down. He leaned against a tree to the right of the table and just watched her for a moment. When she didn't say anything, he decided to say something instead.

"I've missed you, you know," he said softly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Her eyes flickered up to his and she fought the barest of smiles. She'd missed him, too, but there was no way she was going to tell him that. Nor was she going to tell him that she'd come today just to see him. He'd just have to figure it out on his own.

"I wish you would have called me."

"I was busy," she lied, giving him an innocent smile.

"Really," he said, frowning.

She was an enigma. It was part of why he'd been drawn to her. He never knew what she was thinking and she knew how to control her expressions. It fascinated him. So he'd started hanging out with her. Or rather, around her. And it had led to a tentative relationship and his revealing that he had indeed fallen in love with her.

He still didn't know how she felt about him.

She shook her bangs out of her eyes and looked him over, getting his attention. He met her gaze and dug around in their depths for the answers to his questions. Nothing. Where was the girl he'd fallen in love with? She was still there. He knew she was. But lately, she'd been disappearing within herself. It killed him.

"Kenshin."

"Hmm?"

"I missed you, too," she murmured, standing up. "Really."

He blinked, unsure if he'd heard her correctly. She was never this open about her feelings. Ever. It was odd. He furrowed his brows, searching her eyes once again. He saw exactly what he'd seen before. Nothing but Kaoru.

She bit her lip before she started past him.

"Hey." He reached out and grabbed her before she could leave. He was gentle, though. Always gentle. "Don't go yet."

She tugged her arm out of his grasp and stopped. "Why?"

"I've missed you," he repeated.

She shrugged and looked at the ground. "Don't," she whispered.

"Don't what?"

"Don't do this to me," she finished, her eyes glued to her shoes. She didn't want to look at him, afraid of what she might see.

She heard his feet shuffle and then he spoke. "Are we done?"

"What?" She looked up, his words confusing her.

"Are we over? Don't say that-"

"Is that what you want?" she asked, frowning at him. "Well?"

"No," he answered, stepping towards her. His hands framed her face and forced her eyes to his. "I want to find you."

"I don't know what-"

"She's in there. I know she is," he continued, interrupting her. He leaned forward and swept his lips across her forehead. "I love you."

She dropped her head so he wouldn't see her smile. She let her eyes slid to the ground where their feet were. She was wearing flats and he had his Converse on. It was a familiar sight. She swallowed before lifting her gaze to his. She'd managed to get rid of her smile.

"Good-bye, Kenshin."

And just like that, she walked away. But she'd be back, he knew. She always came back. No matter how many times she said good-bye, she didn't really mean it.

And that was the best part.

Owari

a/n: Soooo? All feedback is appreciated :D


	24. Chapter 24: Don't Give Up On Me

a/n: So here is the next little piece in this... somewhat series I have going. I'm enjoying writing this. It's kind of fun to deprive everyone of details to just concentrate on the character interaction, although, I'm sure I'm the only one enjoying it. Anyway, I think for the next part you'll all get your wish. I think I might put some background into it, just to make that part flow a little better. Thanks to everyone whose reviewed! Keep doing what you do! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or N2N.

Don't Give Up (On Me)

She turned her back on him. Again. He kept moving so he was in front of her. She blew her breath out in a harsh noise. This was becoming irritating. She narrowed her eyes as she listened to his footsteps come closer to her. Again.

"Don't," she said, closing her eyes and closing the book she had opened on her lap.

"Come on, Kaoru. I'm not asking for much. It's only a dance."

"And that, if you knew anything about me, is asking too much."

He sighed and ran his hands down his face. He knew it wasn't too much to ask. He knew her. Had known her. She just had to open up a little more and accept that it might not be that bad, if only because it was something they could attend together.

"Kaoru." It was all he could say.

"God," she returned, standing up to walk away. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"No," he said, his throat horse with emotion. "So don't give up on me."

She didn't answer. She shot him a look over her shoulder and shook her head. She didn't know what she could possibly say to him. He didn't understand. She hated social gatherings. She hated dances.

He just didn't get that.

"Good-bye, Kenshin."

He stared after her for a moment before jogging to catch up to her. There was no way he was going to let it end that way. Not after he'd worked so hard just to get her attention. Not after he'd worked so hard to _keep _her attention.

"Kaoru!"

She didn't stop, but she did cast a glance behind her. He was following her. She rolled her eyes and kept walking. He'd never get it, she thought. She could never be happy. He should just stop trying.

He finally caught up with her and cut her off. He was standing in front of her now. His eyes searched hers, seeking answers he knew he'd never find.

"I was serious," he told her fiercely. "I want to know you again."

"No, not right now," she said, averting her eyes.

"When, then?" he demanded, taking a step into her. "I can wait."

She shook her head, still not looking at him. "It's too late," she whispered.

"No." He inhaled sharply. "No way. It's not to late. I won't accept it."

She continued shaking her head. "Just shut up-"

"I won't-"

"-and listen. Just shut up and listen-"

"Why?" he asked desperately, reaching for her. His hands held her waist and he urged her to look at him. "Why do you always turn me away?"

She licked her lips and finally lifted her head. Her eyes were blazing. "I just- I can't! You're so perfectly... normal! It just reminds me of how fucked up I can be!"

It was his turn to drop his eyes. "Okay," he said after a few minutes. "New start, then. Start with the dance."

She shook her head and pulled out of his grip. "No."

"How about this... I'll come to pick you up at eight. And if you come out, we'll go."

"...just give up."

He shook his head. "No."

"You don't give up," she muttered.

"So don't give up on me," he begged again. "Please."

"Good-bye, Kenshin."

And again, she was walking away from him. He had faith this time. He'd cracked her, he knew. Cracked her code. Figured her out. Well, he had started to. It was a good place to start over, he thought with a slight smile.

And he had every confidence that she would come to that dance with him.

Owari

a/n: So there's one more part to this. Mad props to Next to Normal that inspired this short series.


	25. Chapter 25: Crazy Perfect

a/n: And here we are. At the last part. And it does have some background, although probably not nearly as much as anyone had hoped. For that, I apologize, but only half-heartedly as this is the way I wanted it. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviews and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or N2N.

Crazy (Perfect)

He had been right. A smile broke out over his face as he watched her come out the door. She seemed a little frustrated with the shoes as she struggled down the steps, but he thought she looked beautiful. He heard her curse as she made her way to his car.

"Hey," he said, pushing himself off the car where he'd been leaning.

"Hey," she replied as she smiled at him. It nearly took his breath away. He returned her smile and held his hand out for her.

"You look gorgeous," he told her, twirling her around. "Something to see," he finished, holding her an arm's length away.

"Oh, really," she said, smirking as he evaluated her.

"Yes," he affirmed.

She bowed her head, hiding her sincere smile. His arms fell away from her to rest in his pockets as he continued to stare at her.

"You came." He broke the silence. He'd been utterly confident that she would, but a small part of him had wondered as he waited in her driveway. Just a small part. But then she'd come out, looking more beautiful than he ever thought she could be.

"I said that I might."

He shook his head. She'd never said such a thing, but he knew what she meant. She'd said in her demeanor. It's why he'd known to show up. Why he'd known that she would be there. Still, a part of him had worried.

"I thought we were through," he confessed. "When you left..."

She shook her head, clutching her small purse. "Not tonight," she promised.

"How is... everything?" He nodded slightly towards her house.

She cast a glance at the large window. She sighed and shook her head. Things weren't good. They never were. But they weren't terrible for the first time in a long time. Maybe everyone was coming to terms.

"Better," she answered as honestly as she could, trying not to sigh.

"Do you think you can leave it all behind tonight? Just have fun?"

"I hope so. My mind's still full of it," she admitted, smiling slightly.

"We can see it all through-" As the words left his mouth, she wondered what the hell she was doing. She wondered how she could be doing this. She knew what could happen, what most likely would happen. And it wasn't a pleasant thought.

She turned to him suddenly, her eyes blazing with the questions she'd been asking herself all day. All week. All year. Her whole life. She dropped her purse on the hood of his car and gripped the material of her dress in her hands before she spoke.

"Am I crazy?"

"What-"

"I might end up crazy," she told him fiercely. "I might end up crazy."

"I'll be here. For you," he told her, reaching out to her. She pulled back from him.

She shook her head, frowning. "You can say that right now. That's fine. But fast forward. Look into the future. A year. Ten years. I could end up your wife. And then what? How could you deal with it?" She'd seen how it had broken her father. Her poor, faithful father who'd always been there. How he'd grown so weary over the years, trying to make everything right.

"I'd be there-"

"I could end up like _her! _Staring at walls! Throwing shit down the stairs! Freaking out at the store! Running nude down the street! Bleeding out in the bath-" She stopped abruptly, trying to catch her breath. It had all come out in such a rush. She hadn't meant... She took a deep breath.

She blinked watery eyes up at him, daring him to defy her. There was no way he could deny anything she'd just said. It was all true. Mental illness had a tendency to run in families. She was next in line for it. She just knew it. And even if she wasn't, how could anyone stay in that house and _not _go crazy?

"Perfect for you," he said, breaking the sudden silence. "I'll be perfect for you. It's entirely possible that you'll go crazy. Hell, I could go crazy! But life is insane. Crazy, I know I can do. Crazy is perfect, and fucked up is perfect."

"Perfect," she repeated dumbly, unable to believe he'd just said that. He couldn't mean it.

"So I'll be perfect for you," he finished, taking a step forward and drawing her into his arms. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around him in return.

"I love you," he said after a few moments, pressing a kiss to her hairline.

She buried her face in his jacket. It felt so good to be loved. And he'd been so devoted. So persistent. And she was so glad that he hadn't given up on _her. _God knows she'd pushed him away. She'd pushed him away every chance she got. She'd pushed away everything she'd ever wanted.

"Thank you," she whispered, lifting her head to look at him. "Thank you for loving me and never giving up."

He smiled and brushed her bangs out of her clear blue eyes. "I could never give up on you. Because I love you."

"Kenshin I... I love you, too," she said, leaning up on her tip toes to press a gentle kiss to his lips. As she moved to pull away, he held her tight, keeping her right where she was. He kissed her back, making sure she was breathless before he finally let her go.

"Oh, Kaoru," he said, hugging her close. "How could I not love you?"

Owari

a/n: Okay, that's the end. Before I sign off on this mini-series, I just wanted to answer some questions. Next to Normal is a Broadway musical about an extremely dysfunctional family trying to get through life, but failing miserably due to things I can't say lest I ruin it for someone who actually wants to see it. Anyway, I blame The Sneak for this series and for the whole N2N tirade thing. All in all, I hope you guys liked it!


	26. Chapter 26: Thank You

a/n: Okay, something radically different from the last four parts. This, too, is multi-parted. At the moment, we're looking at three parts, but that may become four, depending. FYI, the title sucks as I came up with it just so there would be a title, but if you can think of something more fitting, just give me a holler. So anyway, here we go.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Thank You

"...Kaoru?"

"Kenshin?" Her brow furrowed. She shot a look at the clock. It was well after midnight and the only reason she wasn't sleeping was the insomnia.

"Kaoru, are you busy?"

"No, why?" She was confused. He never called this late. Ever.

"Can you come get me?"

She sighed. "Where are you?"

He gave her the address and she hung up. She wondered what was going on. Maybe his car broke down. But why so late? She pushed her thoughts out of her mind and grabbed her coat and put on her shoes before picking up her keys and heading to the car.

Looking at the address she realized it was a bar. The one they used to go to all the time. She stared at it for a moment before it all clicked. He was drunk. She sighed again and dropped her head to the steering wheel for a moment before starting the car. She couldn't just leave him there.

-----------------

"Tomoe?"

"No," she said, hiding the hurt. "Kaoru," she corrected, easing him from the stool.

She cast a glance at the bartender who looked like he was at the end of his rope. He fumbled around the bar for a moment before pulling some keys out. "I took them a few hours ago when it became clear he wasn't going to stop," he explained, laying them on the bar for her.

"Thank you," she said, reaching out to take them with the hand that wasn't occupied, holding Kenshin up.

"You his girlfriend?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"No," she returned, looking away. "I'm not."

She ignored him after that, concentrating on getting out without letting Kenshin fall. He wasn't very much taller than her, but he was proving to be difficult. She closed her eyes and counted back from ten before speaking.

"Can you help me, Kenshin?" she requesting nicely. "I need you to try and walk..."

He obeyed, lifting his feet slowly. She sighed. It was better than nothing, she supposed. She helped him out the door to her waiting car. She'd parked right in front, anticipating this situation. She leaned him against the car and tugged the door open before ushering him in, being careful of his head.

She shut the door after he was safely tucked inside and buckled in. She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, pushing the tears back. When had their relationship come to this? When had he stopped trusting her? When had he started drinking by himself? She didn't know. She wiped her eyes and got in the driver's side.

She started the car for the second time that night and punched the radio on before pulling out. She needed a distraction, but the radio offered none. She looked at Kenshin while they sat a red light. He was looking out the window.

"Why?" she asked, keeping her attention on the light.

"Hmm?"

"Why?" she said again, refusing to look at him.

"I don't..." He trailed off.

The light turned green. She hit the gas and on they went. She gave herself a few seconds to calm down before trying to talk to him again.

"It's her, isn't it?" she tried, executing a left turn.

"Her who?" He sounded odd.

Drunk, she reminded herself before answering. "Tomoe."

"No," he answered. "Noo..."

She fought back the sigh. She gave up conversation. She'd call him in the morning when he woke up to a hangover from hell. She wondered if he had been stupid enough to mix. She almost hoped he had. It made the hangover worse. She immediately reproached herself. As angry as she was right now, she didn't want him to suffer.

She pulled into his driveway and put the car in park. "Is she here?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Kenshin. Is Tomoe here?"

"No. Not..." he answered wistfully, his eyes staring through her.

"Okay. I'm going to help you get in the house." She reached over to unbuckle his seatbelt. His fingers covered hers.

"I can do it," he insisted.

She raised a brow doubtfully. "Kenshin," she started seriously, "it took me ten minutes to get you into my car at the bar. You cannot tell me you can do this yourself."

"I can."

"Fine. Get out of my car. Here are you keys." She handed him keys and pointed to the door. "Go."

He nodded and got out. She was angry. He'd let her drag her like he was helpless when he had no problem moving about himself. He shut the door behind him and walked to his front door. It took him some time and his path wasn't exactly straight, but he made it. She watched him unlock the door before she left.

God, she'd been so stupid. She always came when he called. She thought maybe he couldn't sleep and wanted to talk. But no, she thought bitterly, he'd gone and gotten drunk over his stupid ex-girlfriend. By himself. It hurt. They used to talk about things like that. She used to cry to him about ex-boyfriends and they'd get drunk together. And vise versa. Not anymore.

The ride home felt shorter than it was. She cut the engine and sat in her car for a few minutes. He was so blind. She had been in love with him for so long. But he was still so hung up on Tomoe. She'd come in and ruined everything. Their friendship had become close to nonexistent during his time with her.

She threw her head back against the headrest and cursed herself for the thousandth time. She should have fought for him. Instead, she'd watched as he fell under her spell and pretended to be happy for him when in reality she was miserable.

She was pathetic, she realized, lifting her head and looking at her watch. It was late. She felt like maybe she'd be able to sleep now. So with a heavy heart she opened her car door and got out, locking the doors on her way. She let herself into the house and dropped her keys on the counter, kicked off her shoes and headed for her bed.

She was still dressed and she didn't care. She fell into bed, burying her face in her pillows and pulling the covers over her.

It wasn't until she was well on her way to sleep that she realized he'd never said thank you.

TBC

a/n: Love it? Hate it? Can't wait for the next part? Lemme know! Thanks!


	27. Chapter 27: Thank You: Part II

a/n: First and foremost, thank you guys for all the reviews!! They make me want to please you guys so here's the next part! I hope everyone enjoys and let's me know what they think!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

Thank You:  
Part II

When she woke up, it was like swimming through murky water. Her eyelids were unbearably heavy and she couldn't bring herself to move. The sun wasn't shining, either. She wondered if it was still the middle of the night. It was too much effort to roll over and check by looking at her clock. Instead, she groaned and tried to go back to sleep.

Except she couldn't. There was something pulling at the back of her mind and she couldn't place it. She sighed and dragged her eyes open after a few minutes effort. It was dark, but her clock, after a discreet glance in its direction, told her that it was morning, although just barely. The sun had decided to stay asleep, it seemed.

It was going to be a dismal day, she thought. No sun. No sleep. She rolled over till she was on her back and pressed her palms to her eyes, trying to figure out why she was still so tired. And then the memories came flooding back. The call. Kenshin. The bar. The car. The ride. She moaned and rolled over again until her face was buried in the pillows. And she screamed.

Yes, it was going to be a dismal day.

She finally dragged herself out of bed, realizing that she had to help out at the dojo this morning. The last thing she felt like doing was sparring, especially with her little brother. Usually she looked forward to it, but this morning... She wasn't up to it. She didn't think she'd be able to concentrate on anything. Which meant that her darling little brother would be the only one doing the beating up.

Her phone rang, but she didn't even cast a glance at it. It was probably Yahiko, reminding her that today was to be the day that he finally defeated her. And how right he would be, she thought sourly, as she searched for her traditional training clothes. No one would shoot her if she showed up in sweats, but her father would give her that look she hated. Better to find the clothes.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry... I don't- it's been a rough few nights. Thanks for the ride."

She paused as the message filtered through her. Well, there was her thank you, at least. No real explanation, though. She sighed. What had happened to them? They used to be friends. Best friends. Close as people could get. Not anymore. His relationship with Yukishiro Tomoe had dragged him further away from her. Further than she could keep up.

She sighed. No use dwelling on it, no matter how it haunted her. He hadn't tried to pick up the pieces of their friendship after the romance had shattered. And she had pushed, but she didn't want to push him out of her life. So she settled for what he would give. Which was drunken rides home, apparently.

She rolled her eyes and dug through the basket of clean laundry she'd pulled out of the dryer yesterday. On the very bottom was her gi. She scooped it up and threw it on the bed before returning to the basket in search of the hakama. She always washed them together so it had to be in there. And it was.

She took a moment to stare at the clothing, not wanting to put it on, before she gave in and did so. Even as she pulled her clothing on her mind was whirling, returning to its favorite subject. Her obsession. She'd always been fascinated and enthralled with him, but lately her mind had been in overdrive trying to figure things out. Figure _him _out.

And she was failing. Oh, how she was failing. She had no idea what was running through his head anymore. She thought perhaps he was broken. Perhaps beyond repair. But then... It had been months since he and Tomoe had split, so why now? She didn't know. He'd told her that it wasn't because of Tomoe, but she didn't believe him. What else would drive him to drink? And drink that much?

She knotted the hakama a little tighter than necessary and gave another sigh. It was useless to think about it. It really was. So for the rest of the day she resolved to put it out of her mind. Too bad her mind had other plans for the day. Plans that involved Kenshin.

* * *

Pain. It was the first thing that filtered through his hazy brain. Hurt. God, how his head hurt. He couldn't remember knocking his head on anything. He groaned and pushed his face further into the pillow. Why did it hurt? He clenched his eyes shut and tried to remember what he'd done last night.

He swallowed tightly. He remembered Kaoru. He opened an eye and cast a glance at the empty space next to him. Had she stayed the night? He couldn't remember. He swallowed again, wanting, needing to remember what had happened the previous night. He knew that he'd seen Kaoru last night.

He stuck with that train of thought. Kaoru. Kaoru's car. Kaoru pulling him into the car. Kaoru yelling at him. Christ. He had to put the pieces together. It was coming back, but slowly. He forced his head off the pillow and cradled his aching head, looking around the room for clues as to what his night had been like. He was still fully dressed, shoes and all.

So no, Kaoru hadn't stayed. She would have at least tucked him in. If she wasn't there, where was she? Home? Why did he remember her so vividly? He looked at his nightstand. It was morning. Early morning. Why was he awake?

His stomach heaved and he remembered why he was awake. He was awake so he didn't ruin his sheets. As he kneeled before the toilet, panting, he thought about all the things that made him this violently ill in the past. And all the answers came back to drinking. He groaned as he flushed and grasped at the towel hanging on the wrack.

He had been drinking. By himself. Again. Only this time, he'd gone to a bar. He closed his eyes. That had been a bad idea. He bit his lip as the pieces finally fell into the right order. Shit. He pulled his toothbrush out and brushed his teeth, thinking things through.

He'd gotten drunk. He'd started off light and then headed in for the heavier stuff, which explained the vomiting. And then he'd called Kaoru because the bartender had taken his keys. And she'd come to pick him up. He'd been happy to see her, he remembered, but then she'd taken him to her car and drove him home.

But she didn't come help him in? If she had, his shoes would be off and he'd be in his pajamas at least. He blinked before spitting into the sink and rinsing.

_"I can do it." _

He put his toothbrush back where it belonged and fought back a groan. He hadn't let her. He'd gone in on his own, insisting that he was okay when it was clear he wasn't. He threw back a couple of aspirin and took a swig from a bottle of water.

He didn't think he'd even said thank you to her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reaching for the phone. He knew what he had to do. And he had to do it now, before he lost his nerve. If he lost his nerve, he and Kaoru would probably never talk again. As it was, their relationship was crumbling. Tomoe had done a number on their friendship.

He dialed her number and when she didn't pick up, left a message. He wanted to explain to her that he still wanted to know her, but he couldn't. _Coward, _he hissed at himself as he hung up. What had happened to them?

He stopped his thought process right there because he knew. Tomoe had happened. She hadn't liked how close he and Kaoru were and monopolized his time. Kaoru had backed off obediently, but after he and Tomoe had split she hadn't come back. He didn't blame her. He'd all but ignored her for the last six months.

And then to call her for a ride home of all things...

He shook his head. Who else would he have called? He didn't have anyone else that would put up with that. No one else would come out in the middle of the night to pick his drunk ass up from a bar that was closing.

He shook his head. He was going to fix things if it was the last thing he did.

a/n: I realize that it wasn't exactly a riveting update, but a necessary one, I think. It gets a little better in the next part, promise. So hit the button? Please and thank you!


	28. Chapter 28: Thank You: Part III

a/n: Okay, this is the last part as of right now. I don't know if it will stay that way. I think we should take a vote! So read and let me know if it deserves another part. Please and thank you! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Thank You  
Part III

It wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be. She managed to disarm and thwart her darling little brother with ease, despite her lack of sleep. Apparently it had become habit, so engrained in her that she didn't even have to think about it.

So she laughed as she mopped the sweat off her brow and tossed him a careless smile. He scowled. She laughed again and threw the towel at him. She walked away before she saw if he caught it or not. She needed something to drink. And a shower.

She sighed and made the short trip across the street to her father's house. There she could get both a drink and a shower. And clean clothes. She was looking forward to it. She greeted her father briefly as she came in since she hadn't seen him at the dojo. He let her go after a few questions about her well being and she smirked. She knew it killed him to have her living on her own, but he was good at hiding it for her sake.

She took her time showering amongst the familiar tile and scented shampoo that her father had never thrown out. It felt like home. Probably because it had been for so long. She sighed and pushed those thoughts aside. She'd gone on in her life. Moved out of the nest. Spread her wings. But a small part of her was still homesick, even though she lived so close.

She rolled her shoulders under the hot spray, willing all the tension away. While the tension that was exercise induced melted away, there was a tension that had nothing to do with physical exertion that refused to go away. She recognized it easily as it had plagued her for the past few months. It was Kenshin induced. As silly as it sounded, she was absolutely sure that's what it was. It had set in about the same time he'd cut off most of his connections with her.

She turned the water off and spent a moment just breathing with her head pressed against the cooling tile. Her life was falling apart before her eyes. It had been for months. She'd just been ignoring it as much as she could. Kenshin had consumed such a big part of her life and she didn't realize just how vital he was to her existence till he had been pulled from it. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and pulled herself out of the shower.

She dried off quickly and got dressed. The clothes she pulled on were tight, the reason being that they were cast offs that she'd left when she'd moved out. They were tight, but they still fit, she thought happily. Considering they were close to five years old, she was proud of that fact. She shook it off, but her smile still lingered as she walked out of the bathroom and into the living room where her father was on the phone.

She blew him a kiss and shouldered the bag she'd carried out with her. He waved and blew one back before returning to his phone call and she took this as a sign that they would have a real conversation later. So without a word or another gesture she headed out. She'd spent the whole morning in the dojo and it was now early afternoon. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she'd skipped breakfast in favor of thinking.

She was regretting that choice now. Oh well, she thought, she would just have to stop for something on the way home. If she remembered correctly, her cupboards were woefully under stocked. So it looked like a trip to the store was in order.

* * *

He was waiting for her when she arrived. She didn't notice immediately. She was busy balancing her training bag and various grocery bags to recognize the fact that her apartment wasn't empty. She cursed softly as she dropped her training bag and concentrated on putting all the bags down without damaging any of the contents.

"Let me help you." She jumped and her efforts proved fruitless. She dumped the bags on the floor in her surprise.

"Christ," she let out, running a hand through her hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I left a message," he said, evading the question as he began to pick up the groceries that littered the floor.

She focused her eyes on a bag of chocolate chips so she wouldn't have to look at him. "I know. I got it."

He paused for a moment and then picked up the bag of chocolate chips she'd been staring at. He didn't say anything as he set them on the kitchen counter. He shifted his gaze to catch her eyes, but they were still glued to the floor. He watched as she took a deep breath and brought her head up to look at him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again.

He swallowed, unsure what to say. She waited expectantly and the moment of silence stretched between them. Seconds turned into minutes and still he did not answer. She made a noise of exasperation and moved to sit down at the small table in the center of the kitchen.

"It's not a hard question. What are you doing here? And how did you get in?" She frowned, thinking on that last question. She knew she'd locked her door before she'd left.

"I still have a key."

"I changed the locks last month," she told him flatly, popping his lie.

"Okay, I picked the lock," he confessed.

She rubbed her temples. "Why?"

"I had to talk to you," he explained, but even to him it sounded lame.

"You clearly know how to use the phone, as evidenced by the message you left me this morning. Why the need to break and enter?"

"You weren't home to answer your phone," he pointed out rationally. "And... what I have to say should really be said in person."

She bit her lip. She sighed. "All right. Let's hear it then."

He was quiet for a few seconds as he gathered his thoughts. "I want to be friends again."

She didn't answer. Surely there was more to it? She blinked at him, waiting for the rest. But there was no more. He continued to stare at her, waiting for her reaction to his words. He knew this was by no means all that _needed _to be said, but for the moment, it was all he _was _going to say.

"Is it really that simple?" she asked softly, more to herself than to him.

He answered, though. "Yes. It can be. Just... say yes," he implored, stepping forward and dropping into the chair across from her.

"I don't know, Kenshin." She sighed and closed her eyes.

Things were so messed up now. A simple, "Hey! Let's be friends again! No hard feelings!" wasn't going to make everything that had transpired go away. In fact, it would almost be like trying to pretend it never happened. She wasn't going to let that happen. If he just ignored it, he'd do it again. She just knew it. The next girl would come around and be more important than her and he'd just go away again.

She shook her head. "No."

"What?" He sounded genuinely shocked.

"It's not that easy. We have to rebuild, Kenshin," she told him. "We can't just call a truce and pretend everything didn't happen. It _did _happen. Offering friendship again won't change that."

"I know that." He sounded indignant.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because, I want to start over. And I want to apologize," he said. He sounded sincere.

"I accept your apology," she answered.

He took a deep breath. "I know that an apology isn't going to make things better. But it's a start, don't you think? We have to start somewhere." He paused. "God, I've hated myself for so long."

She looked at him with sad blue eyes. "I tried to help you," she reminded him. "You pushed me away."

"I know. I didn't want you to see me like that. All broken. I was stupid. You're the only person I could ever rely on and I pushed you right out of my life. I just... I've missed you, so much, Kaoru. I need you back in my life. Whatever you're ready to give."

She pushed the tears back and looked at him. She licked her lips, wondering how they'd let things get so bad. This repair job shouldn't have been necessary. And yet, it was. She'd just have to deal with it.

"We can give it a try. Starting with talking. You need to talk about your issues. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine, but you need to talk to someone. I'm not going to let you drink alone, either," she told him. "It's not healthy."

"I know it's not," he replied, dropping his eyes. "I'll talk to you. I'd rather talk to you than anyone else."

This knowledge pleased her. A smile bloomed on her face and she reached out to take his hand. "That means a lot to me."

He smiled back and it almost reached his eyes this time. His hand tightened around hers and her heart contracted. This was a start, she thought. A real start. He might not love her, but this would do for now. She could make him fall in love with her in time, but she would be happy with what she was given for now.

His renewed friendship was already more than she thought she'd ever have.

Owari?

a/n: Push the button and cast your vote! Thank you!!


	29. Chapter 29: Thank You: Part IV

a/n: Okay, because pretty much everybody wanted another part, I did it. I actually kind of like it. I hope you guys all feel the same! Thank you all for inspiring this piece! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Thank You  
Part IV

_Six months later_

He wondered if she would ever take any of the hints he'd been dropping. True, they were very _subtle _hints, but she usually had no problem picking up on subtlety. Okay, he could admit that maybe he was being too subtle, so he'd decided to move on to more obvious hints. And she still wasn't getting it. That or she just wasn't interested. But he doubted that.

He'd never looked at her as more than a friend before. But now, with this renewed chance, he was opening his eyes. He could see signs of her affection in everything she did for him. He could read her emotions like a book. It was a complex and intriguing book that he wanted to fall into and never leave.

So tonight was the night. The night he was going to fall in and never leave. He just had to make sure he didn't screw it up.

Famous last words.

Something was most definitely _up. _She just knew it. From the weird things he'd been saying to the even weirder calls in the middle of the night about nothing, there had to be something up. It screamed of conspiracy. Well, something as close to a conspiracy as he could possibly come up with.

Whatever it was, she didn't want to be too optimistic. She'd done it in the past and been brought crashing down to reality in the worst possible way. She hated to think it, but his behavior was nagging at her memory and she didn't like the memories it was eliciting. He always acted this weird just before he told her about a new girlfriend.

So while a part of her had hoped, if only for a little while, that maybe he was finally _seeing _her, she had reason to doubt. Of course, he'd never tried to ask _her _out on a date while he was courting another woman. But that was... Well, it was just better to be safe in her experience. When he'd first started dating Tomoe, he'd been this ridiculous. He'd taken her out to a bunch of fancy restaurants and talked to her like she was important.

And then he'd announced his relationship with Tomoe.

It had utterly confused and hurt her. It was like she'd been practice. And he hadn't even told her. One could understand why she would be suspicious this time around. It was only natural. She sighed and batted the memories aside, thinking about the more appealing outlook.

It could mean he was actually interested in her. Finally. She bit her lip and refused to think about it any further. Which, of course, didn't work. Her brain was buzzing. The hints he'd been dropping were blunt. Obvious. She wondered why she was questioning them. They spoke for themselves and-

The door opened, startling her. She cast a dark glance at the door before scowling at the person standing in her doorway. "I thought I told you _not _to do that," she said, standing up.

"Sorry." He was soaked.

She frowned and met him at the door. "Guess the rain finally rolled in, huh," she said, fingering a piece of hair that was plastered to his forehead.

"Guess so." He grinned and grabbed her hand. "I need some help bringing the groceries in."

"Groceries?" She arched a brow at him. He simply smiled and pulled her out of her apartment and down the stairs.

"That's right," he affirmed after they were down the stairs. "I thought I'd make you dinner."

She smiled. It had been a long time since he'd made her dinner and she missed it. "Sounds good."

"I thought it might."

They both paused to stare at the rain as he poured down in the parking lot. It was bouncing off the pavement and the various cars. After a moment of watching, Kenshin pulled her out into the storm. She shrieked and tried to shield herself from the rain, but to no avail.

Realizing she wasn't going to stay dry, she laughed and spun around in it instead. "I haven't played in the rain since I was little," she confessed.

"That's because it's not something proper ladies do," he teased, smiling as he took her in. Her hair was sticking to her face and he was enchanted. He bit his lip as she turned to look at him, turning her wide smile on him.

"Well, I guess that means I'm not a proper lady, then," she answered, dropping her hands to her sides with a giggle.

He stepped forward, moving closer to her. Her smile drew him in. He was like a moth to the flame. The way she was looking at him... God. He tried to shake it off and couldn't. He couldn't shake the way she was staring at him. Like he was all she ever wanted.

His breath caught and before he knew it, his feet had carried him to her. He was standing in front of her, groceries forgotten. He wanted to kiss her. Rain clung to her lips in soft beads of moisture. He wanted to kiss it away. His hand came up to cradle her face and she leaned into it.

"Kenshin?"

Her voice was tentative and it brought him out of his musings. He nosed forward and pressed his lips to hers. She was unresponsive at first, marveling at the feeling of his lips on hers. It was surreal. After a moment, when she realized that it was really happening, she responded whole-heartedly. She eased her hands up his arms until they rested on his shoulders in a light caress.

He groaned as her lips moved against his. He cupped her face in his hands, angling her head to deepen the contact. He swept his tongue across her lips and they opened for him. He felt her fingers clutch at his shoulders as their tongues got acquainted.

After a thorough examination he pulled away ever so slightly, panting. Their eyes met and they were silent as they assessed what had just happened. Before long a smile broke out over Kaoru's kiss swollen lips. An answering smile grew on his lips and he dropped his arms around her waist and pulled her until she was flush against him.

"This wasn't exactly how I had envisioned this," he admitted.

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I thought it was perfect."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, brushing a kiss across her brow. "I planned on plying you with good food and wine and then seducing you into bed."

"That could probably still happen," she said coyly, her eyes flashing.

"Good," he murmured, leaning in again.

"Wait," she said, putting a hand between them with a small laugh. "I just... I want to be sure."

"Sure of what?" he asked, obediently backing away, if only just another inch.

"That... that this is real." She dropped her eyes, afraid of what she might find.

"Oh, Kaoru," he said, tipping her head up so her eyes were forced to meet his. "I would never do this if it wasn't," he assured.

"Promise?"

"I promise." That said, he bent down every so slightly and kissed her again.

It was all she had ever dreamed of. It was all she had ever hoped for. It was perfect.

Owari!


	30. Chapter 30: Monster

a/n: All right! Back with a new drabble! It's definitely different from the last stuff I did, so I hope you guys like the change as much as I do. It was inspired by a Lady Gaga song, of all things lol Anyhoo, let me know! And as always, thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or the song Monster

Monster

He ate my heart.

Okay, so he didn't really _eat _my heart. Bad analogy, I guess. But there was an empty hole where my heart used to be and I knew that it, as in the emptiness, hadn't been there before he'd gotten to it. It ached. Constantly. So here I was; a heartless girl wandering the city in search of what she'd lost.

And then he ate my brain.

Okay, so he didn't really _eat _my brain, either. But he was taking over my brain, so he might as well have eaten it. I'd be better off without it at this point anyway. I wouldn't be thinking about him all the time if he'd just taken my brain along with my heart. I think I'd be better off.

Because now I kept replaying the moments we'd had together. Like how we'd met. We met on a subway, by the way. A rather odd place, if you think about it, but also rather intimate. You're in a small, confined area with people that you barely know, but you have to trust that they won't manipulate your personal space in some way to make you uncomfortable.

Anyway, we were sitting next to each other. Usually, I didn't talk to people on the subway as it was not the best way to make friends. But he'd drawn me in. Magic from the beginning.

_"My name's Kaoru," I told him, smiling brightly._

_"Kenshin," he returned, barely sparing me a glance. Maybe it was his off put demeanor that had made me want to break him. Or rather, his exterior. I'd never been able to resist a challenge. And what a challenge he'd proven._

_I didn't say anything to him after that and things progressed in a natural way. Well, okay not natural. Maybe it was natural for him. Maybe he did it on a daily basis and I was just another stop, but it made me feel pretty special to be the one he'd picked. As we rolled into my stop, I found that he was also getting off the subway. As he passed me, he took my hand. And all of a sudden, he was in the lead. _

_I followed him, wondering what could possibly happen next. I followed him into an alcove with a little privacy. And then he kissed me senseless. _

This part I remembered vividly because it had been so _hot. _His lips were quite talented and his _hands. _I don't know if there are words appropriate enough for the experience that they'd given me in that alcove. I don't think I can even mention his tongue.

Oh, well, nothing sexual occurred. Okay, nothing _too _sexual. All my clothes stayed on. His, too, for that matter. Not that that lasted long.

So after this wonderful meeting (the memory kept me up for a few weeks afterward), he simply dropped out of my life. Which I guess was normal. I mean, did strangers that kissed you senseless for some reason or another usually stick around? I had no idea. I'd never had any experience with it before.

So anyway, he disappeared. Stopped riding the subway or something. I didn't see him on the subway after that. One might think this was the end of the tale and I hated this man because I'd lost my heart to him on a subway. One would be wrong. I don't hand my heart out that easily, although, that kiss was as good as any I'd ever received in my life. If I had been any other girl, my heart _would _be gone.

Good thing I have more sense than that.

Okay, so not _that _much more sense. Because I'm pretty sure I lost my heart to him during our next encounter. Which was stupid. Because what happened pretty much confirmed that he was a monster. A heartless monster who compensated by eating girls' hearts out.

_We met again at a club. A club opening. It was packed. Everyone wanted to sample the newest hang out in town and I was no exception. I enjoyed the night life. It suited me. As I was waiting to get in, I noticed a flash of red. My mind immediately jumped to him. He had red hair. Very exotic and hard to forget. However, I didn't see him. I shook it off and carried on with my night. _

_I dragged my friend along and we were having a lot of fun together until she met a guy. She whispered an apology and then reminded me that she had a thing for the tall, not-so-dark, and silent type. I understood. If red, as I'd taken to calling him in my mind, showed up again, I'd be gone too. It didn't seem like things were going to go that way, though. _

_Oh, how wrong I can be. _

_He showed up a few minutes after my friend disappeared. He bought me a drink, but didn't' say anything. I had plenty of questions, but enough smarts to keep quiet. I drank the entire drink, but my eyes were focused on him the whole time. I wanted to know what he really wanted from me. More stolen kisses? Something more? My heart? Who knew._

_"So, Kenshin," I said as I set my drink down. "What brings you here?"_

_"You," he answered, and he sounded sincere. _

_"Really." I couldn't fight the silly grin. Really. It had been a long time since _any _guy had shown any kind of interest in me. I was lapping it up. _

_"Really," he reiterated, flashing me a dangerous smile. It was the kind of smile designed to melt a woman's insides. I found myself effected by it._

_"How very... sweet," I managed, turning my silly grin into what I hoped was a sexy smile that translated to 'Come hither and ravish me in another alcove, please.'_

_I guess it worked because he set his drink down and grabbed my hand before pulling me out the door. He worked his arm around my waist and walked me out to his car. He bundled me into his passenger seat before getting in the driver's seat. _

_He didn't start the car when he got in. He didn't buckle his seat belt, nor did he comment on how I hadn't buckled mine yet. Instead, he pulled me into him and kissed me senseless. Again. It only lasted a few seconds though, and he was pulling away to start the car. _

I won't pretend that that encounter wasn't sexual, because it was. It was probably the best one night stand I'd ever had. Not that I often engaged in such behavior. It's just... In this situation, there was no backing out. Not that I had wanted to. I went with it. And it's been on my mind ever since.

I'd woken up alone in the hotel bed. No note, no nothing. Okay, well there was something. There was room service. Pancakes. And juice. And bacon. I'd stuck around after eating it, wondering if he was going to show up again. After a few hours, I'd given up. When I'd gone down to check out, I found that he'd already paid for the room. And no, the receptionist had had no idea where he'd gone to.

And sadly, that was the last time I ever saw him. Almost six months ago. And I still only know his first name. Kenshin. It flowed off my tongue like it belonged there. I guess it just goes to show that just because something feels right, doesn't mean it is.

Because that boy is a monster. A monster that I was fairly certain I was in love with, besides. A monster that I was probably never going to see ever again.

Owari

a/n: Well?


	31. Chapter 31: The Monster

a/n: Okay. Sorry, it's been a little longer than usual on the update. I've been busy (just finished with finals and all that fun stuff), but I'm back. And I just have to say, I don't really like this little sequel piece. But I didn't want to leave it alone because everyone asked so nicely for another part, so I made my brain think. And this is what it came up with. So I hope you guys like it more than I do. Anyhoo, lemme know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

The Monster

Six months was a long time. It was an even longer time to go without seeing my new obsession. Kaoru. Sweeter than any conquest I'd ever had. Everything I'd ever wanted in a woman.

I sighed and dragged a hand through my hair before patting it back down. I let my eyes drift over her form as she boarded the subway. I licked my lips, remembering our own meeting on that same train.

She was wearing her usual work ensemble, with minor changes in color. Today she wore blue instead of black. Same suit. Same hairstyle. Same briefcase. Same as every other weekday. Weekends were more fun. I liked seeing the variety in her wardrobe during her escapades into the world those days. It was... fascinating.

I was monitoring her, as I did with all my... targets. True, I was spending more time on her than on any other, but she was worth it to me. And I just wasn't ready to let go of her yet. I was even considering another encounter, something I'd never done before. After I had the chance to bug a target, I was supposed to get out.

But I hadn't.

I'd bugged her at the station. No sweat. It's real easy to slip a bug into someone's bag when you're hands are all over them. But she'd tasted so damn sweet. I wanted more. So I'd gone back. And yes, I'd taken what I wanted. I thought it would be enough. So I got out, like I was supposed to.

But now I wanted back in.

I had been wrong when I thought that that night of sex had been enough. Not by a long shot. I wanted this woman. I wanted her for my own. And I was willing to do anything to make that happen. Maybe even jeopardize my job. It would be worth it.

* * *

I was watching her dance with some man. I didn't think they had anything, but it still made my blood boil. _I _wanted to be the one touching her. It didn't help that she was wearing the same dress that I'd had around her ankles by the end of that night six long months ago. I wanted to see it on the floor again.

I swirled the contents of my glass a time or two before swallowing the rest in one gulp. My eyes stayed trained on her, though, looking for any signs that she'd spotted me among the crowd. I was good at staying in the shadows when I wanted to, but tonight... tonight I wanted her to notice me.

And she wasn't even looking at me. I fought back the sigh. It was only a matter of time. I had to wait for her to notice me. If I sought her out, I couldn't e sure that she actually did have an interest in me. I wanted her to come to me. To prove that there was something more between us. Something worth the risk I was talking.

After ten minutes, she finally glanced in my direction. I felt a grin spill onto my lips. I took in her shock as she let her eyes run over me. And then I read the anger. Her eyes were fairly sparking with it as she pushed her way through the people on the dance floor. After a moment, she was at my side. She motioned the bartender and he was fixing her a drink in no time.

"Long time no see, Red," she said, sitting down next to me.

"I know," I answered, flicking my fingers towards the bartender, silently asking him to put her drink on my tab. He nodded and she whipped her head around to face me.

"I can cover my own drinks," she said.

"I've no doubt."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Hmm? Why what?" I asked, shifting so that I was facing her.

"Why now? Why come back after not showing your face for six months?"

"That's simple, Ru," I said, teasing her with the shortened version of her name. She scowled, but allowed me to continue. "You."

"Me." It wasn't a question so much an expression of surprise.

"Yes. You," I reiterated, meeting her gaze. "I'm risking everything to see you again."

"Why?" she asked again. She was confused.

"Because there's something about you," I admitted, standing up in front of her. "Something I can't stay away from."

She swallowed and I watched as my words sunk in. She absorbed them and licked her lips. I took a deep breath to control my reaction to that. I'd missed those lips. I wanted to kiss her so badly.

"You know, I've been thinking an awful lot about you," she confessed, dropping onto the barstool.

"Glad I'm not the only one, then," I said, sliding my hands along the tops of her legs. "I was worried that you'd forgotten about me."

She laughed. "As if." She stopped the motion of my hands and held them in hers. "So what happens now?"

"I believe this is the part where we live happily ever after, or something like that," I said, smiling.

"So you're not going to disappear for six months again?" she asked, lifting a skeptical brow. "You know, just to make sure. I would hate to hand you something as valuable as my heart to have you crush it."

"I wouldn't do that again," I said honestly. "I want to try to make this work."

She smiled and squeezed my hands. "Good." And then she leaned forward and kissed me with those lips that had so enticed me. They were exactly how I remembered them. Sweet and everything I'd ever wanted. Perfect.

As I kissed her back, I thought about what I was doing. I was giving up everything. I was going to have to explain what it meant to be with me, but it would be worth it. It would all be worth it. She was worth everything and anything.

Owari

a/n: And that's it


	32. Chapter 32: Make Up Your MindCatch Me I

a/n: I've finally given in. I kept telling myself, I'll do that when I have time. And so I made time and I did it. I listened to my itunes on shuffle and wrote drabbles that corresponding to the song playing. It was actually kind of fun. So from now on I'm going to throw these ones in every once and a while. Here's the first one. It's a major break from all my other projects and there's no follow up. I'm not even sure I could be persuaded to. I like it the way it is, I think. Anyhoo, let me know if you like it as much as I do!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or N2N.

Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling (Next to Normal)

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She hadn't realized she was falling until she had hit the bottom. It was an odd feeling. Or maybe she was still falling. Had that been the ground? It was hard to tell. Every time he looked at her... It just confused her more. She couldn't read his emotions the way she wanted to.

Every time she looked at him she saw a different light to his eyes. What did it mean? She had no idea. And it was killing her. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She hadn't hit the ground. She couldn't have. But she was going to if she didn't do something soon. She was falling. Oh, she was falling. And she didn't know if anyone would be there to catch her.

She really wanted him to be there to catch her.

Because she was falling faster than anyone should.

Owari

a/n: Really short, but hey, sometimes it's nice to read something short and sweet.


	33. Chapter 33: To Understand

a/n: And here's the next drabble. It's a lot longer than the last one. It also took me a long time to piece it together exactly the way I wanted it, so I really hope you guys like it. As always your input is greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

To Understand

She wanted to know why he had to be this way. An ass. As if she had to ask herself, she thought angrily. She knew why. He was just that way. Or at least, that's what he had told her every time she asked. She still didn't understand it.

She shook her head and hugged herself as she stood on the balcony, her hip braced against the railing. The moon shined down on her, creating enough light for her purposes and musings. She sighed and dropped her head, her eyes finding her feet against the cement. The dark polish on her toes was chipped and in need of a fresh coat, but she couldn't have cared less. Her brain took note of them anyway.

She let go of herself and grasped the railing in front of her as she shifted her eyes to look into the parking lot of her apartment complex. Was it really so easy for him to be so cruel? So heartless? She couldn't fathom it. She, someone who lived for everyone else, couldn't possibly understand how someone could disregard someone else so easily. It didn't make sense to her.

She had thought he was better than that. But then he'd just thrown her away. Used her and thrown her away. While they were still 'friends,' it was so hard, so strained. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing, no matter how often she pointed out that it didn't feel that way to her.

"God," she muttered, pushing away from the railing for a moment, before teetering back to lean against it.

How many times had she asked him to just... walk away? It would be so much easier on her. She wouldn't have to pretend that she didn't care if he wasn't there. She could act the way she wanted. She could break down if she wanted to. But as of right now, she couldn't. She couldn't break down. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

He always said no. He wouldn't walk away. There was nothing to walk away from, he insisted. Apparently they'd been nothing. Apparently they'd meant nothing to him. There wasn't even a 'they.' There was Kaoru and then there was Kenshin. They were two separate entities who had engaged in a sexual act once and nothing more. There was no emotional connection. It had just been sex.

"Maybe to him," she whispered brokenly, laying her head on her arms across the railing. "But not to me."

It had been emotional for her. She'd always been in love with him. Before he'd adopted this 'I don't care about anything' attitude. Now she didn't know what to think. Or so she told herself. She knew she still had feelings for him and she knew that he was aware of them. He just chose to ignore them.

If someone were to ask about it, he would claim that he had no idea she felt that way. It would be news to him. It always was. She closed her eyes, blocking out the memories. Especially _that _one. Or rather, she tried to block it out. It didn't work. It never did. And then she was stuck reliving it, over and over again.

_She was panting as she struggled to regain her breath. His skin was warm beneath her hands as they roamed up and down his back. She licked her lips and then skimmed them across his shoulder as he groaned against her neck._

_"Oh, God," she breathed, letting her legs slide down from around his hips to drape across his calves. "I love you."_

_He said nothing, just continued breathing. After a moment he pulled away and, as the air hit her bare skin, she shivered. As he stood up and walked towards the bathroom she sat up, wondering what he was doing. She heard the medicine cabinet slam shut and then he was walking back to the bed._

_He sat down and reached down to grasp her face in his hand. He lifted her chin until their eyes met. She bit her lip, confused. He was acting so strange. And as soon as he started speaking, she understood why._

_"You don't love me. I don't love you. This was nothing." He dropped her face and turned away to get dressed. _

_And then he left._

The tears were hot against her cheeks and she cursed herself as she swiped at them. How many times had she told herself that she was pathetic and he wasn't worth it? It never worked.

How could he have no feelings? How many times had she asked herself that, only to come up with no answer? She'd lost count by now.

She took a deep breath and held it for ten seconds. She shouldn't be dwelling on this. She drifted away from the balcony and back into the apartment, seeking her drink on the counter. It wasn't anything too terribly strong, but it certainly made her forget. That's what she wanted, she thought wistfully; she wanted to forget. Forget everything.

She swallowed the rest of the contents in the glass and set it back on the table. She was about to sit on a stool at the island when she heard someone knock on her door. Her eyes landed on the door, but she didn't move. It was far too late for anyone to be visiting. So she didn't answer. She wasn't obligated to. So she didn't. Instead, she poured herself another glass before setting the bottle back on the counter next to the island. Soon enough she would forget there was someone at her door. She slid onto the stool.

They knocked again. She ignored it again. She tucked her ebony hair behind her ears and took another sip. Liquid poison, she thought, tapping her fingers that weren't occupied with the glass against the island, letting her nails click against the Formica. The motion of her fingers stopped when the knocking continued again, louder this time.

"Kaoru, open up!" The voice accompanied the knocking, or rather, pounding this time.

She lifted her head from her glass to look at the door again. She didn't want to answer. Whoever was on the other side of that door was a man, that much she knew from the voice. There wasn't any guy she wanted to see at four in the morning while she was drinking alone. She decided to continue with her original plan.

It would have all gone down smoothly if he hadn't had a key. Her eyes struggled to focus on the door as she heard the key turn the lock.

"Shit," she murmured, standing up and downing the rest of her glass. It had become liquid courage now.

"Kaoru." The voice was closer now. In her apartment.

She shook her bangs out of her eyes and refused to turn around and face whoever was standing in her doorway. The voice was familiar, but the wine had dulled her senses, forcing her to think extra hard. She swallowed, wishing the bottle wasn't on the other counter. Who did that? Who set the bottle of their chosen drink on the other counter, far away from them, while they were drinking their way through it? Apparently, she did, she thought unhappily.

"Kaoru," he repeated and this time she heard his footsteps on her hardwood floor as he came towards her. She exhaled loudly and tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling.

Even though she'd heard him approaching, it still came as a shock when his hand fell onto her exposed shoulder. The tank top she was wearing offered little protection from his touch. She swallowed again and let her head drop back down and her eyes wandered to her hands that were laid out in front of her on the island.

"Kaoru." She didn't want to hear his voice. It was tugging at her memory, causing all sorts of sensations to run through her body. His voice made her heart ache and made her want to cry. She knew why. There was only one man that made her feel like crying.

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"This is ridiculous. I haven't seen you in a week."

"Has it been that long?" she wondered, cocking her head to the side as she thought about it. Yes, she supposed it _had _been that long. While she'd never admit it aloud, she was sulking. She'd spent so much time pretending that she was fine that she needed to take some time for herself. To clear her head.

"Yes," he affirmed, pulling her around to face him.

While she'd known it was him, it still surprised her to see him in her apartment again. The last time he'd been here... She shook her head and met his eyes, willing the memories away again. His gold eyes bore into hers, forcing her to read his emotions. However, she was never very good at figuring it out his feelings, even when she was sober. She didn't have a chance in hell at the moment.

"Why are you here?" she managed, dragging her eyes away from his to look at something safer.

"To talk to you."

"I don't really want to talk to you," she replied, turning away from him again.

"Well, I want to talk to you," he answered and spun her around again. "So you're going to listen."

"I don't have to, you know," she informed him, eyes flashing. "Listen to you, that is. I can throw you out, actually." Her eyes flickered meaningfully towards the door and then back to him.

"You wouldn't."

"I would," she defied, standing up and putting her hands on his back as she pushed him in the direction of the door. "So get out."

He dug his heels in and she lost her balance, falling to the floor on her backside. "Kaoru, what is the matter with you?"

She dropped her shoulders and stared at the floor. What _was _the matter with her? Why couldn't she be who she wanted to be? She wanted to be sure of herself. She wanted to be over him the way he was over her. She wanted to push him right out of her life, but he refused to budge. So the better question would be, what was the matter with him? He was the one making things difficult, not her.

"Nothing," she answered defensively, standing up awkwardly. "I think you should leave." Instead, he took a step in her direction and helped steady her. As he leaned in, he could see just how glazed her eyes were, smell the wine on her breath.

"Christ," he let out. "You're drunk," he observed.

"I'm not," she corrected him. "So leave."

"You want me to leave you alone while you're drunk?"

"I'm not drunk. I'm going to bed. I don't need a babysitter." She was sick of having him here. "Leave."

"No," he said, rubbing his eyes. "When did you start drinking again?"

"I never stopped," she told him seriously. "Shows how much you know. Now get out."

"No," he repeated, looking at her. "I'm not leaving."

"I don't want you here." She needed him to leave. If he didn't, she'd probably do something she'd regret when the morning sun hit the sky. She just knew it. She took a deep breath and met his eyes squarely. "Get the hell out of my apartment. And give me the key, please."

"What? No. Why would I do that?" he asked, grasping her upper arms gently.

God dammit, she didn't need or want him to be gentle with her. It would break her. She would forget what an ass he was. She would forget if he held her like that. She needed to remember. She needed to. She had to get him out.

"I want you to leave."

"Well, I'm not leaving." He pushed her into a chair. "We're going to talk." He put his hands on the arms of the chair, bringing his face close to hers.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Too damn bad!" He pulled away and dragged a hand through his fiery locks. "Kaoru-"

"Kenshin, please, leave!" She stood up and punched him in the arm. "I don't want to talk to you now, I don't want to talk to you tomorrow, I never want to talk to you again!"

She saw his eyes darken and she swallowed, wishing she could take her words back. She licked her lips and backed away from him. There was fury swirling in his golden depths and she wanted to get out of the way. But for every step she took backward, he took one forward. She bit her bottom lip and her eyes darted around the apartment, seeking an escape.

"No, Kaoru, you don't get to leave now," he told her, looming over her form.

All of a sudden she felt very small. She wasn't very tall to begin with, but neither was he. But when he stood over her like that, she felt like he was feet taller than her. It didn't' help that she was ever so slightly dizzy from the alcohol and that her mind was a touch fuzzy around the edges.

"I-" She let out a muffled scream before she could finish her would be sentence as she was picked up and thrown over his shoulder. "Put me down!"

"No." He started walking towards her room. As soon as she realized where he was headed, she began to pound on his back, stringing cusses together.

"God dammit, Kenshin! Put! Me! Down!" She accentuated her words with a slaps to his back, trying to make him obey her.

And obey her he did. He dropped her on her bed and she made a slight noise of exasperation and tried to right herself as she got her bearings back, but he had followed her down onto the bed and was braced over her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Get off me!"

"No." Instead he pressed into her, his nose brushing hers. "You're going to have this conversation with me, whether you like it or not."

"Well obviously, I don't like it!" she said, struggling beneath him.

He found her hands and held them in his. "Hold still," he ordered.

"No!" She was just making things worse for herself. She struggled anyway. She wriggled against him, trying to gain some leverage.

"Dammit, stop!" He squeezed her wrists and pressed himself against her to still her movements. He pressed until she stopped. He could feel her every breath against him. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Go to hell," she said, turning her head away from his. She knew what came next. She knew what she would do now that she had stopped fighting and she hated herself for it. She would give in. What was worse was that she _wanted _to give in. She blinked, willing the pesky tears that filled her eyes away.

He laughed. "And now, we can have a civil conversation, sweetheart. Why have you been avoiding me?"

She took a shuddering breath before saying, "I haven't been avoiding you," as calmly as she could.

He laughed again. "Yes, you have. I want to know why." His hands shifted on hers and she licked her lips, anticipating the freedom of her hands. She didn't know if she would use them to fight him or encourage him once they were free, though.

"I..." She stopped, frowning. Would he listen? Probably not. He would hear what he wanted to hear, not what she needed him to hear. He'd twist her words around until they suited his purposes. God, she hated that.

"Kaoru?" he prompted, his thumb sliding across her wrist.

She swallowed and tugged on her hands. "Stop that," she said with a scowl. He obeyed and she continued. "I have been avoiding you," she conceded. "But not for the reasons you think. I'm not being a tease, I'm not trying to make anything sweeter. I'm avoiding you because I _hate _you."

He had gone still above her. "That's a lie and we both know it."

"Yes, but I'd _like _to hate you. I should hate you. You do nothing to endear yourself to anyone, especially me. You're an asshole," she said frankly, her eyes flashing as they met his. "You never listen. You never understand. There's only one person in your world and that person is _you."_

She could see the rage rising in his eyes, but she didn't care. He needed to hear it. She needed to be the one to deliver the news. Whether he liked it or not, as he'd told her earlier. He was the one who wanted an explanation, so she was going to give him one.

"Don't you dare deny it. I told you I loved you and you told me I was wrong. As if I didn't know my own heart. " She laughed. "So yes, I've been avoiding you. Because I didn't want to listen to you crack jokes about it. I didn't want to see you. The fact that it's you makes it so much worse. Now I'd appreciate it if you would get off me and show yourself to the door."

He didn't make any movement. She cleared her throat and pushed against him. He didn't move. She pulled on her hands and started struggling again. He moved, finally. He held her tighter.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, shifting under him. "Did you hear me? Get out!"

"No." She felt panic rise in her chest at that one word. "No," he repeated. "You're wrong."

"About what?" she asked, continuing to try and get away.

"Everything," he breathed, his face closing in on hers.

She watched in fascination as his lips neared hers. She wanted that kiss. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. She tried to crane her neck upwards to meet his kiss and then caught herself. Instead she twisted her neck away from him so that his kiss landed on her cheek instead. She swallowed. God. It almost didn't' matter that his lips weren't on hers. They were on _her _and that was enough. Enough to undo her. Unravel her.

"Pl-please leave," she said again, trying to regain her breath.

"Not until we work this out."

"There's nothing to 'work out'! I've made my decision, Kenshin, and you're not a part of it!" She writhed side to side and tugged on her hands simultaneously.

"No," he said, lifting his head so that their eyes met. "I won't accept that."

She laughed again and it came out bitter. "You! You won't accept it! It's always about you, isn't' it? God! _This _is what I was talking about!"

He shook his head. "No. I have every right to be selfish right now," he told her, his eyes glowing. _"You are mine."_

She closed her eyes and hoped she could find the will to be patient with him. "It's too late, now," she said calmly, refusing to open her eyes. "You're too late for that. A week ago, maybe it would have meant something to me. Not now."

"Yes, now," he argued fiercely. She could hear the force in his voice. She took a few deep breaths and fought the rising panic. He was being far to possessive for her liking. A week ago, it would have excited her.

"Kenshin, please let go," she said gently, biting her lip.

"Not until you understand," he said, burying his face in her neck. He nuzzled the skin there before pressing a warm kiss to her throat.

"Understand what? What is there to understand? You're being an ass again," she said, jerking her neck, trying to forget the feel of his lips on her skin. She felt his smile against her neck before he gently bit her. She whimpered low in her throat and clenched her eyes tighter. He would not win.

"Understand that I need you. I'll always need you." He lifted his head from her neck. "Look at me."

She shook her head, refusing. She felt one of his hands leave her wrists to come and rest on her cheek. She tugged on her hands experimentally to see if she'd have a better chance now. Of course not. She swallowed and forced herself to relax.

"Please," he said, brushing her cheek with his fingers. It was nearly her undoing. The pleading voice accompanied by those fingers. God. She was so weak.

She opened her eyes. They met his and tears clogged her throat. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable before. So needy. Oh, God. She swallowed thickly, trying to prevent the tears from falling. She wanted him so badly. Wanted him to mean what he was saying so badly.

"I may not love you," he started, "but I think I could. I think I'm on my way there."

And there it was. Everything she'd ever wanted. And he was handing it to her. Her eyes flickered away from his for a moment before returning. She was having trouble reading what she saw there. He certainly sounded sincere, but she could never be sure where he was concerned.

"I don't know," she finally said. "How can I trust you? I want to believe you, Kenshin. I do." She turned her head away from him, afraid of how he'd react to those words.

"You don't have to believe me right now. Give me time. I'll prove it," he promised, easing her face towards his. "I swear."

As his lips descended towards hers, she didn't fight it. She knew that there was a chance that she'd hate herself in the morning, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She wanted to see if he really would keep his word. If he really was falling in love with her. If he could see someone other than himself.

She would need a lot of convincing.

Owari

a/n: Well?


	34. Chapter 34: Spar

a/n: Yay for another non-AU piece! Written on a whim for your entertainment. Thank you all for your continued support and motivation. Sometimes I think it's the only reason I still write. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Spar

She should have known there was something off from the moment he offered to spar with her. He never sparred with her. Never even watched her, for that matter. But today, he'd gone out of his way to ask her if she'd like to spar with him. She'd been so delighted, she hadn't been suspicious at all. After all, it was only Kenshin. And he did not scheme.

Or so she thought.

Fifteen minutes into their little match, she began to wonder about the rurouni's motives. It was plain to her that he'd been playing with her the whole time. He'd dodged her every move, frustrating her to no end. Eventually she'd abandoned the offensive and returned to what Kamiya Kasshin was all about; defense.

That was how she'd gotten cornered.

She'd blocked all his shots until he'd backed her into the corner of the dojo. And now she was standing with his sword pointed at her throat, her bokken hanging uselessly in her hand. It was over. She'd lost.

She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were twin pools of purple with amber swirling through them. She almost dropped her bokken, but managed to hold onto in the last second. However, the movement was enough. His eyes snapped back to reality and he dropped his sakabatou back down to his side.

"I win, Kaoru," he said, a smile playing on his lips.

"M-mou," she muttered, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. He hadn't said, "Kaoru-dono." He'd said, "Kaoru." She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Her blue eyes chanced a look at him and wished she hadn't. His eyes were devouring her. His gold tinged violet eyes. She licked her lips to get rid of the seemingly sudden dryness of them.

His eyes tracked that movement. He wanted those lips. He wanted them bad. Her eyes were still drinking him in, confused. He planned to alleviate that confusion very soon. He sheathed his sword and took another step towards her. She took a step back and hit the wall.

He smiled. She had nowhere to go now. Nowhere but where he wanted her. He reached out and grasped the bokken that was still in her hands. He gently tugged it free and let it drop to the ground with a thud. She jumped ever so slightly at the sound.

She swallowed, looking anywhere but his eyes. She didn't know what was going to happen next and she didn't know if she was going to like it. She was nervous. Which was ridiculous, she told herself. It was only Kenshin. A new, scheming Kenshin.

His fingers were fanned against the wood walls behind her back. He took in her body language and didn't like what he saw. He saw nervousness and panic. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted her to want this is as much as he did.

"Shh, Kaoru," he said, easing forward until his hands were pressed against the wall on either side of her head. "I won't hurt you, sweetheart."

She blinked at the sudden endearment. It was out of character, but then again, so was this entire interlude, starting with the sparring match. Why should one more eccentricity startle her? But there it was. She bit her lip and tried to ease back away from him before she remembered that she was pressed against the wall. There was nowhere to go.

"Ke-Kenshin," she started, hoping she could maybe talk her way out of it. Or maybe she was just hoping for an explanation. She hardly knew. She wasn't sure she _wanted _to find a way out of it.

His eyes flashed as his name passed her lips and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers softly. Questioningly. He pulled back ever so slightly and met her eyes, asking her permission to continue further.

Those stormy blue eyes were flooded with confusion and something else that made him pause. Passion. There was passion buried in those depths. Passion for _him. _She licked her recently kissed lips and nodded her head at him.

He wasted no time.

His lips descended upon hers to carry on with what they'd started a few seconds ago. He moved his lips gently against hers, afraid to scare her. He took it slowly, making sure that she was following his movements with her own lips before taking things one step further. As his tongue made that first exploring sweep against the seam of her lips, he eased his hands down from the wall. One found its way into her hair to angle her head while the other cradled her hip.

Her own hands were clenching and unclenching against his shoulders sporadically as she became accustomed to the feel of his lips on hers, the feel of his tongue brushing hers lightly until she dove in and tangled them together. Her eyes had long since drifted shut and she kept them that way as he started to pull back, scraping her bottom lip with his teeth carefully, lovingly.

She didn't open them until she felt his fingers against her cheek, wordlessly willing her to open them. She did so and let him drink in the sight of her dilated eyes, huge with desire. His hands fell from her face to glide down her sides until they rested on her waist.

"I love you," he finally said after he'd regained his breath.

She laughed. She could do nothing else. "I should certainly hope so!" she said after she managed to tame her laughter. "After that!"

He grinned sheepishly and tugged her body into his. "And you?"

"Me?"

"I should certainly hope that you also love me, after that," he teased, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Obviously," she told him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I've loved you since the beginning, you foolish man."

His arms tightened around her and she had time to register the movement before his lips were devouring hers once more. As she started to return the kiss she thought that, maybe, she liked this new, scheming Kenshin.

She'd just have to do some experimentation to find out for certain.

a/n: Hope you guys liked it! Drop a comment if you've the time :D


	35. Chapter 35: Stilletos

a/n: This one is... definitely different. In a good way, I feel. Anyway, I don't really have anything to ramble about this time. So enjoy! Please and thank you! And also: thank you very, vert much to Firalyn Tiatra who came up with the title! Much love to you!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Stilletos

She gnawed at her bottom lip, worrying it to the point of making it bleed. She didn't care. He was late and nothing made her more antsy than a late client. Time was money and if he didn't show up soon she was going to have to leave. He wouldn't be happy, but that was how it went. She didn't have the luxury of waiting for every guy who wanted to fool around.

She absently tapped her stiletto against the pavement and made a little noise of exasperation. There were a thousand things she could be doing with this wasted time and only a few of them were appealing. But that was the life. She sighed and lit a cigarette, cupping her hand around the flame. She dropped the lighter into her pocket and took a drag. It helped calm her nerves.

She blew her breath out and rolled her eyes. It was time to leave. She'd stood there for fifteen minutes waiting for him to show. Really. She flicked the stray ash off the end of her cigarette before taking another drag. She started to walk away. She was over this shit.

Her heels clicked along the pavement as she headed back to base. What a waste, she thought, already dreading what her boss would have to say about her terrible judgment. This wasn't the first time she'd lost a client and consequently money. That was all he cared about. Sometimes she wondered if there wasn't something more she could do with her life. Something more meaningful. And then she caught herself. The only way to get out was to get dead and get dead as quick as possible. Not something she cared to do.

She dropped what was left of her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, grinding it into the ground. She was about to continue her trek down the block when a black SUV pulled up next to her. Her first thought was something along the lines of, 'Fuck, cops here?' but then the window rolled down and she realized that whoever it was, it wasn't a cop.

She instantly threw on her working face, straightening her posture a little, narrowing her eyes into a sultry half stare, and pouting her lips just so. She strolled up to the window and gave the passenger a smile full of promise. The beginnings of her bag of tricks.

"What are you in for, sugar?" she asked, careful not to touch the car. Some of them didn't like it when whores put their hands on their cars. She'd learned that one the hard way.

"Kaoru." That voice made her start. She blinked and backed away from the SUV. No. She didn't need this. Not now. She licked her lips and watched as the driver's door opened and exposed the person inside. God, no.

"No," she uttered, backing away another step.

"Kaoru. Get in that car. I am not happy," he said, stepping towards her.

She bit her lip and hid her uncertainty. She had known that he would find her eventually. Or rather, she used to hope. She used to stare at the ceiling while being forced to endure the ever faceless client, wondering if he would ever come. She stopped hoping after a few months.

And now he was here, standing before her, demanding that she get into his car. She wanted to laugh at that. What right did he have anymore? There was a time when she would have gladly done as he asked, gotten in his car, and left this horrid lifestyle with him. Not anymore. She'd gotten too hard on the streets. She'd edged out.

She swallowed and fixed him with a hard stare, the one she used to get rid of the more aggressive clientele that harassed the other girls. "No," she said. "I don't think so."

She started to walk away from him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Their eyes met and she read the desperation swirling in his eyes. For a moment, she stopped tugging on her arm and analyzed that look. She felt his hand ease up and she promptly tugged her arm free.

"Why are you here, Kenshin?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?" he asked, voice hoarse with emotion. He'd spent almost a year looking for the woman in front of him after she'd been taken. A year. It was a long time to devote oneself to a search.

"Yes," she answered, casting her eyes down. "It's been too long. I don't need to be rescued anymore."

"Obviously you do," he argued, taking another step closer to her. "You don't have to do this anymore! You can come with me."

"You think it's that easy? Don't you think if I could just walk away, I would have already? It doesn't work like that."

She was frustrated. He was making it sound like it was her fault. Like she hadn't done her hardest to avoid this type of life. As if she'd chosen it. She wanted to laugh at it all, bitterly, of course. He was the one who told her to try something new. He was the one who suggested she have a go at Enishi. He was the one who said she needed to be diverse.

Of course he probably didn't know that Enishi was a human trafficker. So he probably didn't intend for her to get sold into sexual slavery, but that's what had happened. He'd given her up and Enishi had been there to pick her back up. She'd gobbled up every bit of attention he'd sent her way and before she knew it, she was working the streets in a foreign country where no one spoke Japanese.

She threw her head back and gazed at the sky, swallowing the memories down. It was all over now. Done with. She sighed and returned her eyes to his. He was still staring at her. It was ever so slightly unnerving and all of a sudden she was very aware of just how she looked to him. She supposed it shouldn't bother her that she looked like a whore; that's what she _was. _But it did bother her.

She dropped her eyes abruptly, thinking about what she was wearing. Three inch black stilettos. Black thigh high fish nets. A scrap of black material she was trying to pass as a skirt. A red tank that ended two inches above her navel. She sighed again.

"I know that it won't be easy, but I want to help you. Please, Kaoru. You don't belong out here. You belong with me."

And there it was. The words she'd spent countless nights imagining and they were spilling from his lips. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Could it really be so simple? No, it couldn't. She knew that. There would be complications and issues with getting away from Enishi's... organization, but she could do it. Could she? She didn't know. She wouldn't know if she didn't try. And she wouldn't be doing it alone. Kenshin would help her.

"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head. "He's not going to be pleased and he's bound to get violent."

"I know that," he countered, gently grasping her upper arms. "I'm willing to risk it. I'll do whatever it takes."

She sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them again after a moment. "All right."

A slow smile built on his lips and she raised a brow. "Excellent," he said, pulling her into a hug. "Excellent."

Only time would tell if she had made the right choice.

Owari

a/n: So there it is. Let me know what you think! :D Thanks, lovies!


	36. Chapter 36: While You're Sleeping

a/n: Here's one of those short ones. Just something short and fluffy for you guys. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.

While You're Sleeping

She was propped up on her elbow as she stared down at his sleeping face. She bit her lip briefly, released it, and then blew her breath out slowly. He elicted so many feelings in her. Too many to realize and analyze individually. It scared her. She swallowed and shook her head as if it would shake her thoughts as well.

She reached out with her free hand and brushed his bangs out of his closed eyes. He was so peaceful when he was asleep. She licked lips and let her index finger drag down his smooth cheek. Everything about him was so perfect.

She sighed. "I love you," she whispered. "I may not be able to tell you when you're awake, but someday I will. Someday, when I'm not so terribly afraid, I'll tell you. But right now, I can almost see that smug smile on your lips. So for now, I'll just tell you while you're sleeping." She took a deep breath, loving the way he smelled so familiar and masculine. "I love you."

She pulled her hand away and let her body sink into the bed once again and pressed herself against him. She pulled his arm around her, the way it had been when she first woke up. She buried her face in his chest even as her own chest constricted with the confession she'd just made.

As she closed her eyes, she didn't notice the way his arms tightened around her and his eyes slowly drifted open, that smug smile playing on his lips.

Owari

a/n: Thanks for reading!


	37. Chapter 37: Speed Dating: Part I

a/n: This is a multi-parter. I swear. So no one get mad when they get to the end. I promise you another part! Anyway, this was quite random, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

a/n: I don't own RK

Speed Dating

I hated speed dating. It was pointless. And I never knew what to say. As a result, I ended up embarrassing myself a lot. Not that I did this a lot. Speed dating, that is. Just when Misao, my best friend, dragged me along. Anyway, since there was a guy here, sitting across from me, that might actually be worth my time, I really wanted to avoid that tonight. Too bad my mouth had other plans for me tonight.

"I collect sex toys."

A long silence ensued. I could feel the blush creeping up my face and I just wanted to die. Really. Of all the things I could have said. They ran through my mind now. "I have a cat, I like to go bowling, I'm a Cancer." None of them had come out of my mouth.

"That's very... interesting."

I closed my eyes, letting his strained words flow through me. Interesting. Well, at least he was polite. At least he hadn't run screaming. I guess that was a good thing. Fortuneately I was saved by the bell, literally, as our time ran out and we were forced to move down the line to our next partners. Or rather, I was forced to move and he sat there smiling as he anticipated a relatively normal partner coming to his table.

I don't know why I come to these things anymore.

TBC


	38. Chapter 38: Speed Dating: Part II

a/n: This was only supposed to be two parts, but I'm beyond busy with work, so I've decided to split it into a few more parts so that updates are a little more regular. So here's the next part!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Speed Dating:  
Part II

"Sooo," Misao said as we stood in line, waiting to get the cards of people who'd like us to call them back. "Any keepers?"

"Nah," I said. "And if there were, I managed to scare them off." Like the red head.

"Too bad. We should really work on your people skills," she said, tsking at me. I scowled, but silently agreed.

"These men would be delighted to hear from you," the woman said handing me a couple of cards.

Oh, boy, someone said yes... I almost threw them in the trash on my way out. What made me keep them, I'll never know. I ended up stuffing them in my purse. And it was a long time before I even looked at them again. Really. I swear.

Okay, maybe I pulled them out the second I got home. My eyes devoured the names, trying to match the faces I'd seen that night. I wasn't lame, I swear. I go out on real dates. But it's been a while. Which was the excuse I was using to make myself feel better about the desperation I was feeling as I looked over the cards.

My fingers paused as I pulled a card out that had the name _Kenshin Himura _scrawled on it. I blinked, wondering if I was reading it wrong. This was the red head I'd so offended with my stupid mouth. I couldn't believe it. There had to be some kind of mistake. His number was written below his name and I frowned, confused. What was going on?

Did sane men want to see a girl again after she told them that she collected sex toys without prompting? I don't think we even got beyond names before I blurted that little bit out. Maybe he wasn't quite... right. In the head. I didn't know a lot of guys who found girls who collected sex toys interesting. Maybe he was different?

Or maybe he was playing a horrible joke on me. I sighed and tucked the card away, deciding not to call tonight. I definitely didn't want to look desperate, but... But dammit, how could I wait? I pulled the card back out and reached for the phone. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Even as I dialed I knew I was being stupid.

I waited as it rang, biting my lip. And then finally, there was a wonderfully male voice answering.

"Hi, this is Kaoru Kamiya from earlier tonight. I just have to ask, are you an idiot?" Okay, so not as eloquent as I could have put it, but come on. This was me. Eloquent things didn't often pass my lips.

He laughed and I frowned again. Laughter? Laughing at me? At what I'd said? Or the face that his joke had gotten me to call? I just didn't know.

"I don't mean to be rude, but seriously. Considering how our thirty seconds "date," quotations around date, went, I'm a little confused." That was a little better. Right? Right.

He was still laughing. My frown deepened. "Okay, I'm gonna guess that that answers my questions. Thanks." I was reaching for the button to cut the connection when I heard him say, 'Wait!' I waited.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," he said, clearly fighting off his fit of laughter. "It's just... you were so different from those other girls!"

"I don't usually say things like that. It's a nervous tick, one that's gotten me into trouble more than once."

"I thought it was charming."

"Really." I couldn't hide the skepticism in my voice. Not that I bothered to try.

"Yeah. I'd really like to see you again."

I licked my lips, unsure what to say. "I don't know. I don't really do the whole speed dating thing. I usually throw the cards out."

"But you didn't this time. So I think that means I deserve a shot." He deserved a shot? How about me? A shot at redemption. It was more than I could resist.

"All right."

We worked out the details of when and where and then hung up. Well. That wasn't so hard, was it? I'd managed a mostly civilized conversation with a sexy guy. And I managed to avoid mentioning my sex toy collection. Yippee...

a/n: I'll try to have the next part (and hopefully last part) out relatively soon. I'm aiming for once a week updates, but they're getting increasingly hard to accomplish. So fingers crossed that I'll manage to find some time...


	39. Chapter 39: Speed Dating: Part III

a/n: I'll start with a hefty apology about how long it's been. But the wait is over! It's here now, and yes, this is the final part! Yay! Anyway, enjoy what you read!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Speed Dating:  
Part III

I was antsy, I realized, as I squirmed in my seat. We'd agreed to meet at the restaurant. Just in case, you know, he turned out to be a serial killer. I didn't exactly want to hand out my address. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Whatever.

Anyway, I was there first and that didn't bother me. Well, not much. Only a little. I hated being the first one there, even if there were only going to be two of us total. I'm always the person that rolls in on just this side of polite. Always the last to arrive.

Oh, well. I sighed and glanced down at my watch. It was only just after seven. Still my side of polite, I realized before sighing again. I was about to start tapping my toes impatiently when I saw him. A waitress led him over to the table and he smiled at me.

I smiled back and prayed that I wouldn't say anything completely stupid. And then I stopped myself. The last time I had thought something like that, I'd ended up doing it anyway. Therefore the thoughts were totally pointless. Right? Right. At any rate, I stopped the ridiculous conversation with myself when he sat down.

"Kaoru," he said, still smiling.

"Kenshin," I returned.

"I want to thank you for agreeing to this. I know it must have seemed a little odd..."

The conversation from this point on was fairly normal, get to know you stuff. No mentioning of sexual things. Not that I wasn't thinking them. Oh, no, my mind was running at full speed in fantasy land. And there was only one star, okay two, in that land. Kenshin. And me, of course.

So naturally, there's only so much appropriateness my mouth can say while my brain is otherwise occupied. I should have known that. I should have known a lot of things, come to think of it, but that's another story for another day. So naturally, conversation had to turn at some point from questions like, "How many cats would you like to someday own?" to things like-

"Would you like to see my sex toy collection?"

Naturally.

I looked at my watch to avoid looking at him and to see how long I'd managed polite conversation before my mouth ran away with my brain. Or rather my brain ran away with my mouth. I don't know. I made it almost an hour. For a date, I think that's pretty good. By my standards anyway.

I wasn't expecting him to answer as I swallowed and struggled for something that would repair what I'd just done.

"I'd love to."

"I'm so sorry, I just don't think before I talk- what?" It goes without saying that I was a little confused.

And then I realized I probably shouldn't be. He _was _a guy, after all. And guys were into sex. And sex toys. Okay, so sure, not all guys were into toys the way I was. But most guys were. At least, all the guys I'd ever hit a homer with were. Oh, no, wait, not all... There was that one...

Never mind.

I blinked at him and then smiled at him.

"You sure?"

He returned the smile and stood up after dropping some money onto the table. The smile was pure wicked intention. I swear to God. "Yes, I'm sure."

I licked my lips and stood up. "You know, it might take a while to go through it. You might have to stay the night."

"I think I might be able to do that."

"Well, then," I said, taking his hand as he held it out to me. "Let's go!"

It was going to be a verrrry good night. A long night. An endless night, even. And I couldn't wait for it to get started.

Owari

a/n: I don't want to do this, but I feel like everyone should be forewarned. Things are going to slow down as in updates are going to be slower. I'm going back to school in less than a month and once that starts, it'll be hell trying to find time to write. However, there will still be updates. They'll just take a little longer.


	40. Chapter 40: One More Weekend

a/n: Here's a really short one for the random song thing. Hope this appeases everyone! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

One More Weekend (The Academy Is...)

This was it. The last weekend they'd ever spend together. Or at least that's what it felt like. They were all off to college next week. This was her last chance. She took a deep breath and took another shot. She made a face at the strength of the alcohol before shaking it off. She'd need the courage to get the words off her tongue.

She swallowed and bit her lip as she found him in the crowd. He was talking to some of their friends, but no one would find it odd if she pulled him away for a moment. So that's what she did. She cut in and asked to steal him for a little bit. He gave no resistance and followed her out onto the porch.

He was smiling at her and the sight of it send butterflies spiraling into her stomach. She returned his smile, hers less sure than his. She licked her lips nervously before taking the plunge.

"I think I'm in love with you."

She kept her eyes glued to her feet as she waited for his response. It came in the sweetest form; Soft lips grazing hers that screamed acceptance.

Owari

a/n: ?


	41. Chapter 41: The Local Bar

a/n: I worked hard to get something new to you guys! And here it is. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

The Local Bar

She couldn't believe she was allowing herself to be dragged around. She sighed and tugged her hand away from Misao's. She didn't want to be here, but here she was. Standing in quasi line to see a celebrity. They were shooting a movie in their hometown and Misao just _had _to come see the stars. They were enjoying a drink at the local bar this evening, after all.

"Misao, really, this is silly. We're never going to see them. Do you see the gaggling girls?" she demanded, pointing to the various onlookers.

"You're the one who's silly, Kaoru! Of course we'll get up there! I just have to see them..." She grabbed Kaoru's hand again and pulled her forward, inadvertently shoving her into several unsuspecting females.

Kaoru apologized with a half hearted smile as she stumbled after her friend. "Stop it!" she hissed, pulling on her hand again. "I don't even want to do this."

"I know. But I need a wing woman and you're the perfect candidate."

"Misao," she entreated as they approached the bar.

"Calm down! I'll buy you a couple of shots, okay? Will that calm you down?" She signaled to the bartender.

Kaoru fought the urge to roll her eyes. Shots wouldn't help, but she'd take them. They might help her deal with Misao. Maybe they would give her some patience... Oh, who was she kidding? Shots would make it worse. She knew they would. She was thinking it even as she accepted the tequila shot Misao shoved into her hand.

"This won't help!"

"Throw it back!" Misao ordered, glaring at her friend.

After giving her one last exasperated look, she did as she asked. The tequila burned and she relished it. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach almost immediately and thanked God for that. She blew out her breath and tried to relax her shoulders a little bit.

"One more, and then we're going to make friendly with the nice movie stars, okay?" With those words, another shot was pushed into her hands. "Down it."

Kaoru did as Misao asked, but then threw the brakes on, her senses overriding everything else. "This is not a good idea! You are going to look extremely desperate!"

"You are not allowed to say anything anymore. That's why I bought you shots." Misao tugged on her hand and pulled her forward a few more feet. "I can see their heads!"

"Misao! Stop! You did not buy me those shots to shut me up, you bought them to calm me down! Which they did _not _do, by the way!" If anything, they'd made her even more antsy. She was aware that her friend was about to make a complete idiot out of herself and there was nothing she could do.

"Oh, God," she whispered to herself. She could now see the famous heads that Misao had been raving about a few seconds ago. One was a red head, that much was apparent. The other had black hair. Kaoru didn't know which one Misao was so gaga over.

"Hi!" With that one word, Kaoru cringed. It was only going to get worse. The two celebrities glanced towards them and she resisted the urge to duck. Instead, she became very interested in one of the bartenders. He was hovering in front of them, waiting anxiously for another drink order. She decided to give it to him.

"Two shots of tequila, please," she said, pretending that she didn't know what her friend was about to do. Pretending that she wasn't hearing the conversation happening behind her.

"I totally love you guys! I wish you would come here more often, I mean, we really know how to throw a party! Oh, I know! You should come to Kaoru's tonight! She's having a party!"

Kaoru jerked, almost dumping the shots all over her front. One of them had been intended for Misao... She shook her head and set the other shot back on the bar. If she had been smart, she would have taken both shots for herself. But it was probably best not to be completely without her wits at this point in time.

"Kaoru? Who's Kaoru?" The red head.

Or not.

"She's right here. Kao-ru!"

She gulped and refused to turn around. She would be damned if she was going to give in to her crazy friend's scheme. Damned. She was yanked forward after a few seconds and she stumbled, right into the actor's barstool.

"Misao!" she hissed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Misao just laughed as Kaoru righted herself, apologizing as she did so. "_This _is Kaoru."

"A party?"

"No!" Kaoru exclaimed. "No parties. No."

"What a pity," he said, shaking his head, a small smile playing on his lips. Kaoru blinked and swallowed. She'd never really taken to following Hollywood celebrities and she now remembered why. They could make fools out of people like her, what with their mocking smiles and dancing eyes... She shook her head and stood her ground.

"Sorry to disappoint. My friend has a big mouth and tends to say things she doesn't mean," she told him, lifting her chin in defiance. "Misao, let's go. I have class in the morning."

"But-but-"

"But nothing. Come _on._" She gave Misao's arm a firm tug and dragged her behind her. "You can thank them for their time and then we're going home."

"Thank you, Kenshin! Thank you, _Aoshi..._" The last name was sighed and Kaoru almost rolled her eyes.

"Yes, thank you for entertaining her," she muttered, as she pushed Misao to move her away. "Because I really needed another problem..."

"Excuse me?" He, the red head, _Kenshin,_ turned around and stared at her as she tried to get away. "I don't think I caught that last bit."

"Nothing," she breathed. "Just leaving."

His hand shot out and grasped her upper arm. "No, you definitely said something."

She blinked, taking in his hand holding her arm. Then her eyes flickered up to his, flashing. She so didn't want to deal with this right now. She just wanted to get her idiot friend out of there before she caused anymore damage.

"I thanked you for entertaining her and giving me another problem," she repeated and pulled her arm out of his grip. "And now we're leaving."

"Kaoru!" Misao was horrified and stopped walking. "What do you mean another problem? I will not be a problem!" She pouted and Kaoru leveled her with a skeptical look. "Okay, well, less of a problem than the last major obsession," she amended after a moment of thought.

Kaoru just shook her head and started towards the door again. "Good night," she called behind her. "Have fun shooting your movie." _I hope I never have to see you again._

As they walked out of the door, Kenshin watched with a small smirk. It had been years since a woman had defied him the way she had. It was... interesting. He turned around in his seat after the door had shut behind the two girls.

"So, you think they come here often?" he asked his companion as he picked up his drink again.

Aoshi merely shrugged. "Maybe."

"Maybe we'll have to come here more often," he suggested, smiling the whole time. "I think it could be highly entertaining to run into them again."

Again, Aoshi just shrugged. "Possibly."

Kenshin sighed and shook his head. He would definitely be coming back and asking some questions about the girls. The little spitfire in specific. What was her name? Kaoru, his memory supplied. Yes, he'd definitely find out if Kaoru frequented this bar and if she did, well he'd start to frequent this bar too.

He was eager to further their acquaintance.

Owari


	42. Chapter 42: Curiosity

a/n: Okay! It's been a long time, I know. But I've started classes again and I don't have a ton of time that's not dedicated to school anymore. But on a better note, this is the continuation of the last chapter! I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Curiosity

She was sitting at the bar waiting for Misao. She snuck a glance at the clock that was hanging behind the bar and just barely managed to contain a sigh. She was late. As usual. She shook her head. She'd been late to everything they'd done together this past week and Kaoru was determined to find out why. Usually, Misao was very punctual.

When Misao finally showed up twenty minutes later, she was flustered and disheveled. Kaoru cocked an eye at her and smirked.

"So, who is he?"

"Wh-what?" she asked, sitting down.

"You're funny. Who is he? The guy that gave you that sex hair." She pointed to Misao's messy bob.

Misao flushed, her hands flying to her hair. "I don't have sex hair!" she denied, eyes wide.

Kaoru laughed. "No, it's just messy. Come on, Misao, I know you met a guy."

She shuffled her feet for a moment before sitting down next to her. "Don't laugh."

"I can't promise you that," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

Misao huffed and locked gazes with her best friend. "Remember that night we saw the movie stars?"

"Yes," she answered slowly, putting her drink down. She wasn't sure she liked where this conversation was going.

"I hooked up with Aoshi," she confessed, dropping her head to the bar. "And, Kaoru, this is pretty much the first time I've left my bed all week."

"Christ." Kaoru was glad she'd put her drink down. She might have choked had she not. Misao was not known for casual sex. She stared at her friend in amazement. "So, where is this headed? Is it over when they leave?"

She shook her head. "They finished shooting. He asked me to marry him."

"What? Isn't that a little sudden?"

"Oh, Kaoru it's so romantic!" Misao started gushing and Kaoru turned her head. She never thought she would rush into something so fast. And yet, here she was, telling her all her plans for the wedding. Bleh.

"Slow down. Please. I can't keep up. You're getting married _when?_" she asked, frowning.

"Next week."

"Misao! Is that really smart? You guys barely know each other!" she chided.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I... I think I'm in love with him." Her eyes were desperate as they searched Kaoru's.

Kaoru sighed. "If you love him..."

"Oh, Kaoru, thank you!" The smaller girl's arms wrapped themselves around her. "I knew you would understand!"

She returned the embrace as best as she could and rolled her eyes and Misao started prattling on about the flowers, the church, and her bridesmaids. There was no stopping the girl if she truly loved him. Not that she wanted to stop her if it was real. She bit her lip and tried to pull away, but to no avail.

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Misao finally relinquished her death grip. "Am I interrupting?"

Kaoru's eyes flickered up and narrowed when they landed on the red headed celebrity. Kenshin, Misao had called him.

"Not at all," Misao answered. "I was just telling Kaoru the happy news!"

Kaoru's eyes widened and she turned on her friend. "He already knows? You told him before me?"

"I didn't tell him, silly! Aoshi did," she corrected with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, there's so much to be done, I have to be going! Play nice, children!" With that she scampered off and Kaoru was left with a horrible feeling.

She'd been set up. She'd been set up by her best friend. With a celebrity. Not that that mattered. She recovered quickly, however and managed to yell at Misao's back, her logic searing, "Misao, it's eleven o'clock at night on a Saturday! What arrangements do you think you're going to accomplish?"

She waved her hand behind her in a vague gesture of dismissal and continued walking out the door. Kaoru dropped back on her barstool, just realizing that she'd stood up in the midst of everything that had happened in the last ten minutes. She ran her fingers through her bangs and heaved a sigh.

Her eyes fell to her half finished cocktail and she heard Kenshin fall into Misao's abandoned stool. She sucked down the rest of her drink before turning to face him. He was staring at her with blatant amusement coloring his face. She scowled and he gave a soft laugh.

"Isn't your movie done shooting?" she asked, waving the bartender over.

"Yes, last week," he answered.

"Why are you still here, then?" she asked as she handed the bartender a twenty.

"I've got it," Kenshin said, taking her money and giving it back to her. "Whatever the lady wants."

She glared at him, but let him buy her a drink. A free drink was something that she never turned down; alcohol was expensive, cocktails especially so. And he could definitely afford it. So instead of arguing with him she said, "You never answered my question."

"I know," he said, smiling.

"Are you going to?"

"I like it here," he said, shrugging. "It's... peaceful."

"Oh, yes," she mocked. "Raging fan girls are extremely peaceful."

"Well, maybe not that part, but the rest of it is. I like that it's right on the water and that everything is pretty much within walking distance," he elaborated.

She nodded because those were the very things she found so appealing about her small town. "Trying to get as much peace as you can, huh?" she asked after a moment.

"Hmmm?"

"You know, before you go back to wherever it is you come from," she clarified.

"L.A.," he supplied with a small smile. "But I'm not going back."

She turned and gave him an incredulous look. "What?"

"I'm not going back to L.A."

"Why?"

"I'm curious about something," he responded vaguely.

"Whatever," she answered after a few seconds of searching for a proper response. She wondered briefly, however, at what had so piqued his curiosity. She finished her drink and stood up. She needed time to recoup from the weirdness of the night. "Thanks for the drink. I'm headed out."

He stood up. "I'll walk you out." He held out his hand for her.

"That's okay. Really. I can walk out by myself. Thanks, though." She walked past his outstretched hand.

As she walked by, he grasped her arm and she had a moment of deja vu. "Kaoru," he said softly. "I insist."

She shook his hand off. "I really hate that," she told him nodding towards the hand she'd just shaken off as she turned away. She didn't protest when he followed her out the door, though.

They didn't talk as they walked through the parking lot. They were halfway to her car when he reached out to take her hand. She didn't pull away, but she did shoot him a strange look. He merely smiled back and squeezed her hand in good humor. She allowed it.

She stopped in front of her car and turned to face him. "Well, this is me." She reached in her pocket for her keys with her free hand while tugging on her other. "You can let go of my hand now," she told him.

"I know." He didn't let go, just smiled at her again. She forgot her keys and put all her efforts into pulling her hand from his. He held on tighter. She glared at him.

"Seriously. This isn't funny," she said, yanking.

"If you would just hold still for five seconds, you would understand," he informed her.

She stopped moving and waited for him to explain what he meant. He let go of her hand and reached for her waist instead. She stutter stepped and fell against her car. He braced his hands on either side of her body and leaned in so that their noses were touching.

"You understand now?" he whispered. She blinked a few times and he gave her a sultry smile. "No? You will."

He pushed forward that last inch and brushed his lips against hers softly, gently. She was frozen for a moment and he pulled back. She blinked again and licked her lips, savoring the flavor of his lips on hers. She slowly eased her hands up his chest until they were locked around his neck. She bit her lip and searched his eyes for a moment before pulling his head back down to hers. He sank into her kiss and brought his hands down to wrap around her waist.

She forgot that she wasn't supposed to like him as his tongue slowly parted her lips and she forgot that he was used to getting his way as he cradled her against him. It all felt so... right. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so wanted. So she clung on tighter until it all ended. He pulled away slowly to let her breathe and rested his forehead on hers.

"See now?"

She laughed, the sound of it husky. "Yes, I think I do."

He chuckled and hugged her body against his. "I think it's going to take a long time for me to satiate my curiosity about you."

Her fingers curled into the hair at the nape of his neck. "I certainly hope so."

Owari

a/n: I hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	43. Chapter 43: Gum

a/n: Kind of short, but it's better than nothing, right? That's what I figured, anyway. I've got something a little bit longer and a little bit more citrus-y in the works right now, so let's all be patient! Thank you to everyone who's been sticking through patiently already! You guys rock! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Gum

I spotted her exactly where I thought I would. She was walking across campus towards her two o'clock class. Excellent.

"Hey, Kaoru!" I called, catching up to her in a few steps. "Can I have a piece of gum?"

She stared at me for a second, regret and indecision filling up her blue eyes. "I'm chewing my last piece," she said sheepishly, blushing a little.

I laughed and told her it was okay. It would have been nice to have a piece of gum, but I would live. Chewing gum calmed me down while taking tests. Ridiculous, I know, but it really helps. I was about to walk away when she stopped me with a hand on my arm. She bit her lip and looked at me for a few more seconds.

She took a deep breath and took another step towards me. "Kaoru, what-"

Before I could finish my question, she was kissing me. I was shocked and my mouth opened. In came her tongue. After a few seconds of being a shocked, passive participant, I decided that this shock wasn't so bad after all. My hands slid up her arms until one hand was cradling her head as my tongue met hers mid-thrust. Her own hands were fisted in the material of my shirt and they clenched and unclenched periodically.

She pulled away after another few seconds, breathing heavily. "There," she said, smiling.

I was confused. "There, what?"

She frowned. "The gum. I gave you my last piece of gum."

And so she had. I blinked as I chewed, only just realizing exactly what she'd done. I laughed with the sudden realization. I shook my head, trying to clear the laughter. "Thank you," I finally said.

"You're welcome. I hope you realize I wouldn't do that for just anyone, Kenshin," she informed me, with a smirk.

I pulled her back into my arms. I didn't want her kissing anyone but me after that little demonstration. "I certainly hope not."

Owari

a/n: I posted a poll on my profile about other fics, so be sure to check it out and let your opinion be heard if you have one. Thanks, everyone!


	44. Chapter 44: Don't Say Yes

a/n: I was bit by the Taylor Swift bug... I tried really hard to write a Halloween piece, but just wasn't into it. Oh well, hope this will make everyone happy! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK or Taylor Swift's song Speak Now

Don't Say Yes

I was sitting in the church. He was standing at the front. She was standing across from her. She was smiling. He was not. The priest was making his mandatory marriage speech. Or would it be called a sermon? I didn't know. I didn't go to church often enough to know. I licked my suddenly dry lips as his speech/sermon drew to a close. It was almost time. My hands were sweating. I swallowed.

"...speak now or forever hold your peace."

Those words rang in my ears and I felt my body rising. Before I knew what was going on, I was standing up. The priest's eyes met mine briefly, but I broke the contact and looked at him instead. He looked confused. Again, I broke eye contact. My eyes slid to her. She looked really pissed off. I suppose she had a right to be. I was about to ruin her wedding day.

"I object." It was all that came out of my mouth, but it was followed by a chorus of gasps from everyone in the church.

"What are you doing?" My mother was sitting beside me. "Sit down and shut up!"

My eyes flickered to her. "No."

"Young lady," the priest began speaking. I wasn't listening to him. I'd raised my eyes to his again. His wonderful violet eyes. They were piercing through my blue eyes. I could feel it.

The words began spilling before I could filter it. "Don't marry her. Don't say yes. You don't love her. I _know _you don't." I stopped myself there. I didn't say the words that were dancing on the tip of my tongue. _You love me. You told me so. _

He'd said a lot of things that night. I'd said a lot of things, too. One of which was that I would let him marry Tomoe without any objections. I lied. Obviously. I smiled slightly and I glanced down at my feet. I was wearing sensible flats, despite the fact that I'd picked out heels for this occasion. Flats would make it easier to escape the angry mob that I was sure was going to chase me for this.

"You are nobody," Tomoe suddenly said. "Your objection is meaningless. The wedding will continue."

I shook my head and lifted my gaze to meet his, even though I was talking to her. "I just wanted to say my piece." I sat back down, my eyes daring him to marry her. Daring him to take back his confession of love. To me.

"There. Father." She gestured to the priest. He looked nervously between the two of them.

The priest didn't get the chance to speak again, though. He finally spoke up. He dropped Tomoe's hands and looked at the priest. He was talking lowly to him, too low for any of us to hear. But we could all read the outrage on Tomoe's face as she registered what was happening. The priest nodded his understanding, closed his bible and took a step back from the couple.

"I'm afraid this wedding will not go on," he announced.

No one was listening to him. They were all watching Tomoe pitch a bitch fit. She was shrieking unintelligible nonsense at him. He took a calm step backward and told her flatly that he was sorry for dragging her through this, but he couldn't marry her. Not now, not ever. I smiled, despite the chaos erupting all around me. I caught his eye for a second and gestured towards the exit. He smiled and nodded.

I walked out of the church and waited in the parking lot. I knew it wouldn't be long until he pulled one of his famous disappearing acts and found me. I was right. A few minutes later I saw him walking out of the church, looking over his shoulder for his homicidal bride-to-be. Ex-bride-to-be, I corrected myself.

I didn't fight the smile I felt building on my lips as he got closer. He smiled in return and held out his hand. I laughed a little as he pulled me towards his car. He opened the door for me and slid into the drivers seat and started the car. He took my hand and kissed it.

"Kenshin," I said after a moment of silence. "I-"

"Don't say anything. Just listen." He slid his index finger across my lips after untangling our fingers. "I want to thank you. For stopping me. It was a mistake."

His finger dropped my lips and I immediately bit the bottom one. Bad habit. "You're welcome," I answered after a moment of silence. The atmosphere was suddenly tense, as if waiting for something to erupt.

And then he laughed, breaking the tension just like that. I breathed a little easier and joined him in his laughter. "Let's get out of here," he said softly, putting the car in drive.

"I think that's a great idea."

It was time to make sure he had no regrets with his decision. I was hoping after he spent some time with me, he wouldn't even remember her name. The thought made me smile, if a little wickedly, and I reached for his hand. As his fingers twined with mine, I knew I'd made the right choice.

Maybe I'd get my happily ever after, after all.

Owari

a/n: That's it. Hope you enjoyed! :)


	45. Chapter 45: Day Old Hate

a/n: Do you all hate me? I feel really bad that it's been so long, but I just haven't had time for writing lately. I'm so sorry, but I hope you all enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Day Old Hate (City and Colour)

She closed her eyes and just breathed. The air smelled strongly of the river. She liked it. It was just what she needed this morning. Sometimes, she just needed some time to herself. The river gave her that. Time away. Time away from him. She shook her head and fought the tears. She hadn't wanted this.

He'd given her no choice. She'd done what she had to in order to stay sane. If that left him with a broken heart, so be it. Hers was broken too, even if he refused to acknowledge it. She thought about him back at her apartment, sitting at the kitchen table. He was probably still sitting there, wondering why she'd left. And wondering if it was for good, this time.

She left him every other month, it seemed like. Not that she wanted to. It just worked out that way. She'd get sick of him. Get sick of covering his ass and lying for him. She just needed time away. And he gave it to her, with one condition. She had to come back. And she always did.

She stood up and looked out at the river. It was calm. Unlike her nerves. She didn't want to go back. If she went back, she was admitting that she still loved him. And God help her, she knew she did. He, however, didn't. He had no idea if she still loved him. She never gave him a straight answer when he asked.

She took a moment to stretch her legs and do some breathing exercises before looking towards her car. It was the only one in the lot. Not that that was surprising as it was only 6:15 in the morning. Far too early for tourists. Too early for anyone but her and her thoughts.

She bit her lip and unlocked the car. It seemed like she had no choice. She knew what she was going to do. She would drive around for a while before finally going back to that dingy apartment where he was sitting at her kitchen table.

Because she still loved him and she wanted him to know that.

Even if she thought it might be a mistake.

Owari


	46. Chapter 46: Politics

a/n: Okay, finally a new piece! I thank all of you for being so patient with me! So here it is! Enjoy and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Politics

Her eyes met his defiantly and it flared an anger in him. She had no business looking at him with those eyes, let along challenging him with them. A growl broke free from his throat and he didn't realize he'd done it until amusement flashed through her eyes. He took a step closer and she smiled at him, as if she were daring him to continue forward. He narrowed his eyes in response and stopped walking.

"You play a dangerous game, Kaoru."

She rolled her eyes every so slightly, giving him the submission he'd been seeking, and smirked. He didn't like the quality of that smirk. It implied disobedience and rebellion. He hated that. He wouldn't stand for it. He took another step towards her.

She laughed. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I don't play werewolf games, Kenshin."

Another growl bubbled in his throat. "You're playing one now."

She rolled her eyes again, real agitation reflected in the movement. She stood up straight, pushing off the wall she'd been propping herself up against. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them and staring at him. If he thought she was going to just fall to his feet and call him 'Alpha,' he was sadly mistaken. She wasn't one of his wolves and she didn't follow his rules or his politics.

"I'm going to say this once, and only once," she started softly, a subtle threat laced through the words. "I don't play your games. I'm not a werewolf and I refuse to pretend that I am one. The fact that I'm human exempts me from all that shit and you have absolutely no control over me. I make my own rules and I play by them." With each word she'd taken another step towards him until she was standing right in front of him. "Got that?" she asked, pushing her index finger into his chest.

His hand grabbed her wrist in a quick motion. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything more. He pulled her hand away with more gentleness than he would have liked. She didn't comment on it, though.

"And I'll only say this once," he said quietly, stepping into her frame so that his lips brushed hers as he spoke. "You walk a very thin wire. You live within my territory with my permission only. That could change at any moment. If you keep putting yourself in the middle of my business, there will be consequences."

He watched in satisfaction as her breath hitched and she struggled to pull oxygen into her lungs. The wolf in him drank the movement in, recognizing prey. He pushed the instinct to pull her closer down and backed off instead. She had no idea how lucky she was.

He took in her posture, wondering if he hadn't pushed her too far. Her eyes were glued to the floor and her head was dropped down, her shoulders slumped. She looked defeated. He made a short movement in her direction and her head shot up, her eyes blazing.

"I'll do whatever I want to. If I want to push myself into your business because I have some kind of stake in it, I will. Don't try to push me around, Kenshin. I'm not a werewolf, I won't submit to you like one."

She turned on her heel and walked away. He watched her go and fought to keep his control. He hadn't become Alpha by a lack of control, but there was just something about her that kept his temper a little closer to the edge. One day he'd make her understand, but for now... For now he'd let her think she'd won.


	47. Chapter 47: Traitor

a/n: Wow. It's been a long time. Sorry about that, things have rather gotten away from me lately. But here's an update to appease the masses.

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Traitor

"They've named you a traitor," he said softly.

"I'm aware," she replied, licking her lips.

"Is it true?"

She thought about his question, rolling it around in her mind and weighing the word against her actions. To a degree, she supposed it _was_ true. But, she thought, what was done, was done for the better of her beloved country. She didn't know how to answer him.

"I suppose it is," she finally said, shrugging. "Will you kill me?"

He didn't answer, his amber eyes taking her in. She was as lovely as he remembered, raven locks tumbling over her bared shoulder. And those eyes. Lord, those eyes. Dark as dusk alight with stars, they were half lidded with her emotions. What emotions those were, however, he could not guess. He could barely guess at his own.

She stood up, pushing the chair she'd been occupying back. "Will you?"

He swallowed as she took a step towards him before stopping and folding her arms under her breasts, an elegant brow arched. "If it is the will of my King."

She smiled then. "I see. Forever loyal."

"Forever, my lady," he affirmed, shifting.

"I expected no less from you, Kenshin," she said, sighing, "but I had hoped. But only for a short period of time."

"For what it's worth to you, I hope you are not condemned to death." He frowned. "Kaoru. Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" she asked, dropping her arms and cocking her head.

"Kill him. The heir to the throne," he clarified.

"Oh," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try me." He had to know. It had been burning in his brain for weeks, ever since he heard the news. He hadn't believed it at first, hadn't wanted to believe it. Kaoru. A traitor. A killer. It couldn't' be true. Not her.

She sighed and took three steps so that she was standing in front of him. She lifted a hand to his face and touched the scar on his cheek. How to tell him? she wondered. He would not like hearing it, she knew. He was fiercely loyal. She closed her eyes, choosing her words carefully.

"Soujiro was not... He was involved in things that he should not have been. Court politics are best left to those who know how to play him. His deceptions got him killed. He crossed paths with the wrong people, people who would use him and turn him against the Crown." She shook her head. "He played a dangerous game. And he lost."

"I... That tells me nothing," he settled on, grasping her hand in his. "How do you plan to convince the King that his only son was plotting against him, if that is in fact what you are insinuating."

She smiled, her eyes meeting his. "I have my ways."

"I think it is _you _who plays a dangerous game, my lady." His hand slid down her arm from hers until it rested around her waist.

"So it is," she agreed, snaking her arms around his neck. "And it always has been. But you already knew that."

He did know that, he thought, pressing her closer. And he'd never cared. Until now. Now she was named traitor and if he was caught with her like this, he'd likely be named the same. A traitor. He closed his eyes for a moment, considering that. Kaoru, a traitor. No, she had to be telling the truth. She _had _to. His arms tightened around her.

"Yes," he finally whispered.

She smiled sadly. "Kiss me one last time, my love, before they come and discover you here. I wouldn't want to be responsible for your death."

He was helpless to do naught but obey. He caught her lips with his, enjoying the familiar taste. It ended far too soon for his liking, but he knew the reality of the situation, knew what would happen if he lingered here overlong.

"Go and do your duty, solider," she bid him, smiling. "I pray it is not the last time you see me."

"It won't be," he said with far more conviction than he felt. _It can't._

With that, he departed, leaving her alone within the room with her thoughts and plans.

a/n: Ehhh, I'm not exactly happy with it, but I don't hate it either. I know there's issues with it, but I can't bring myself to care overly much since it's only a drabble. But anyway, drop a comment with your thoughts, thanks as always!


	48. Chapter 48: Traitor: Part II

a/n: Oh my god, how many of you hate me? I hate myself for being so busy! But I worked really hard to put something up. It's a continuation of the last chapter because I just couldn't let it go! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Traitor: Part II

She pressed her back against a wall as she heard the thump of feet approaching the door. She swallowed silently and then licked her lips. Who knew? There were no witnesses left at this lodging. They'd been destroyed by the one sworn to protect them. The one that was supposed to avenge the heir's death and kill her. The thought made her shudder.

A solid pounding on the door interrupted her musings. She ignored it and moved swiftly towards the back of the building. There was a servant's entrance that she'd been using her entire stay.

"Kaoru, I know you're in there!"

She froze. That voice... She turned her head in the direction of the door. She wanted to call out to him in return. But it was too dangerous. He was an assassin for the crown. Part of the crown she had killed. Their previous ties wouldn't be enough to save her if he'd been ordered to kill her. He'd let her get away once; she doubted she'd be so lucky a second time.

"I'm going to break down the door!"

She hastily continued her journey towards the back; she could already hear him trying to infiltrate. She doubted he could do it on his own. He'd have to have others with him. It was definitely best if she disappeared before he made his way in. She found her way to the kitchen just as the pounding stopped. Odd, she thought, picking her way around the dishes that were strewn all over the floor, why would he stop? She hadn't heard the door hit the ground.

She was chancing a small look towards the great hall in anticipation when it dawned on her. He had given up? A small part of her was disappointed. Another part was relieved. She hadn't had a chance to gather the necessary witnesses to bring before the King yet. She needed just a little more time before she allowed herself to be caught.

She licked her lips and turned back towards the exit. And promptly ran into someone. She bit her lip and pulled back, taking in his shape. It was him. She should've known. He was relentless. He wouldn't have given up in the face of one door. She took a step back, and cast a vain glance towards the kitchen doors. She knew she'd never make it. He was faster than her.

"Kaoru," he breathed, grasping her arm and pulling her to him. "I knew it."

"Kenshin. I can't let you take me in," she whispered, fighting against his arms.

He frowned and loosened his grip ever so slightly. "I'm not here to take you in," he answered.

Her eyes searched his face, seeking something that would confirm his words. His eyes were bottomless and revealed nothing. She bit her lip and wondered if she could trust him. She'd never had an issue trusting him before. Now, she knew where his loyalties lied and they weren't with her. She tugged against his arms again. This time he let her go.

"How can I believe you? You are in the King's employ," she pointed out, inching towards the door.

"Because I've gone rogue, Kaoru. I haven't reported in over a month. I've been tracking you," he confessed, taking a step towards her. "I've also been conducting my own investigation into Soujiro's death."

For every step towards her he took, she took another back. She was nothing if not cautious. Curious, but cautious at the same time. She rolled his words around in her head. She believed that he was conducting an investigation. He hadn't believed her the last time they'd spoken, she knew that. He'd want to find proof.

"And what have you found?"

"Few people were willing to talk to the King's assassin," he admitted. "But," he added, "they were more compliant when they were informed that I had been named a traitor."

"You've visited Kamatari, then," she concluded. The woman was a tad bit eccentric and more than a little paranoid.

"Yes," he confirmed. "She wouldn't even see me until rumors of my new status reached her."

Kaoru believed it, having met the woman on several occasions. She licked her lips and looked into his eyes. That old familiar amber was pleading with her to believe him. To trust him. She took a couple breaths, thinking about it. If he knew about Kamatari, he knew... everything. Kamatari had orchestrated nearly the entire operation, despite the fact that she had been acting under orders.

She swallowed and took a step forward.

* * *

She was standing in front of him. After all this time, he'd found her. It hadn't been. She was slippery and evasive. She'd been playing shadow games nearly her entire life and he had to admit that she had quite the knack for it, from disappearing through a locked door at the castle to managing to stay a step in front of him at all times.

But he'd finally found her. He'd had to sacrifice the only life he'd ever known in order to do it, but in his eyes it was worth it. It was worth it every time he caught wind of her name wherever he had tracked her to.

"Kaoru, please. I can help prove your innocence," he started, "if you want. Or we can just... disappear."

She looked taken aback, confused. "Kenshin, I can't ask you to do that. You... You could still go back and clear your own name. The King would take you back in a heartbeat. Claim a false lead, a leak, a mole... He'd probably accept any excuse," she told him.

"I don't want to," he answered fiercely, stepping forward once more. This game had gone on long enough. She needed to understand that she was the only one he wanted to answer to from now on.

"Kenshin," she whispered, her voice sad.

"Kaoru," he returned. "You're what I want. Please. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure."

She sighed and he took another step. When she didn't step back, he finished the short walk to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't want you to regret this," she whispered, gently wrapping her arms around him.

"I won't." _I can't. _"I love you."

She shook her head, but smiled anyway. "I love you, too."

He pulled back just enough to see her face and drink in it. It really had been too long. But oh how good it felt to hold her again. Her eyes were exactly how he remembered them, if a little more tired. But they still had that same spark. That spark that said she would never give up.

He smiled and kissed her. It was softer than he had intended, but it was still perfect. She tasted like everything he remembered, with just a hint of forbidden thrown in. It made it all the more exhilarating. He felt her hands tighten on his shoulders and he smiled against her lips.

He would never let go.

Owari


	49. Chapter 49: Nightmare

a/n: This is extremely short... But based on a true life experience. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Nightmare

Kaoru awoke with a start, her heart racing. _Just a nightmare_, she thought, swallowing. She blew her breath out through her lips slowly, trying to calm herself down. Confusion was beginning to set in as she took in her dark surroundings. She wasn't in her room. That brought on another round of panic before she realized _why_ she wasn't in her room. She wasn't in her room because she'd spent the night at Kenshin's. Which meant she wasn't alone.

A small, inaudible laugh escaped her lips as she rolled over and took in his sleeping form. As if sensing her movement, he rolled into her, throwing an arm over her waist. She smiled, snuggling into his half embrace. He sighed in his sleep and tugged her closer, causing her smile to widen.

_I could get used to this,_ she thought. Waking up from a nightmare to someone's loving embrace... It beat the hell out of waking up by herself and being unable to get back to sleep for hours. And she felt... safe with him. There was a security with him that she just couldn't find sleeping by herself.

And if she had it her way, she'd never sleep alone again. The thought tugged one last smile to her lips as her sleepy eyes started to drift shut.

Owari


	50. Chapter 50: Waking Up: Part I

a/n: An update! It's part one of a few. Enjoy and drop a review if you like! Thanks everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Waking Up

The first thing that filtered through Kaoru's hazed senses was the pain. Oh, the agony. It felt like someone had tried to rip her scalp off with their bare hands. She swallowed and tried to take inventory of the rest of her body. Her mouth was dry. Her stomach... Oh, probably best _not _to dwell on how her stomach was feeling. Aside from that her entire body was just absolutely aching. And she hadn't even opened her eyes yet!

A small groan escaped her lips as she experimentally tried moving her limbs, one by one. Everything moved, albeit reluctantly. She licked her dry lips and tried opening her eyes. Slowly they cracked open to take in the ceiling above her. A ceiling that was decidedly _not _hers. She blinked a couple of times, thinking maybe it was her exhaustion playing tricks on her eyes. She even brought her hands up to rub at them.

Nope, still not her ceiling.

She swallowed and let herself realize that while it wasn't her ceiling, it was somewhat familiar. Her eyes swept across the bedroom. It wasn't her room, but it was familiar. It was achingly familiar. She closed her eyes and dropped a hand onto her forehead. Oh, God. She had a horrible feeling. She couldn't quite bring herself to roll over and confirm it.

Certain things were starting to fall back into her memory. She remembered the bar. She remembered the drinking. Oh, the drinking. As a lightweight, she had absolutely no place downing as many shots and mixed drinks as she had. Ugh. Just thinking about it made her stomach roll. She placed a hand on her queasy stomach and took a deep breath to try and quell it.

Blowing out her breath, she opened her eyes again. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Maybe. Sitting up slightly, she groaned. Maybe it was. She wasn't wearing clothes. How come she hadn't noticed that earlier? She counted to ten before letting herself look to her left, where she was fairly certain she knew who would be in bed next to her.

Oh, God. Yep. Maybe it was as bad as she had feared. Scratch that, it _was _as bad as she'd feared.

Sleeping peacefully beside her was the redhead she'd been in love with for her entire life. Her best friend. Her absolutely _engaged to another woman _best friend. Her naked, in bed next to her best friend. Kenshin.

Oh, God.

To Be Continued...


	51. Chapter 51: Waking Up: Part II

a/n: As promised, here's the next part. There's still another part or two to come depending on how I'm feeling about it. At any rate, I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Waking Up:  
Part II

"Mmmm." He wasn't sure he was ready to get up. He couldn't remember ever being so comfortable in his bed before. Ever. Hence the reluctance to open his eyes and start the day. He eased his arms up above his head and indulged in a morning stretch.

"Good morning, sunshine."

He started and his eyes flew open, despite his earlier desire to keep them closed. Sitting up next to him in bed was Kaoru. He didn't know what to say, so he studied her expression instead. Her mouth was drawn in a tight line and her eyes were narrowed on a distant point on the floor. She was pale. But she was still just as beautiful as she'd ever been, he thought, a small smile tugging on his lips.

But what was she doing in his bed? And wearing... wearing nothing, he noticed upon further inspection. He felt certain that he was blushing all the way down his body after that observation. He swallowed. Why was she naked in his bed? He had a very, very bad feeling.

"Kaoru?"

"Yes."

"I..." he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what she was feeling. He didn't know what was going to happen now. Hell, he didn't even know what had _already _happened.

She sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed. He watched her do it, fascinated with the expanse of smooth skin of her back he was now staring at. He was dazed as he watched her hair slide across the skin when she moved forward. Before he realized what he was doing, his hand was reaching out in front of him, determined on sweeping her hair away.

Before he could touch the silken strands, they were pulled away from his reach. She had stood up. He watched as she tugged her panties up her legs and over the curve of her ass. He swallowed. Oh, God. He was so distracted, he realized, as she began dressing methodically.

"Kenshin!"

He jumped. Had she been talking this entire time? How had he not noticed?

"Did you hear anything I said?" she asked impatiently, pulling her shirt on roughly.

"I..."

"I know, it's a shock. But I think we can salvage this. I won't tell Tomoe-san," she promised, turning back around.

"Tomoe?" Oh, God. He'd completely forgotten about Tomoe. How had he forgotten? She was his fiancee! He should be mortified by what he'd apparently done with his best friend. He should feel guilty.

"Yes, Tomoe," Kaoru affirmed. "Look, if we play our cards right, she'll never find out, okay? I've crashed here before after a night of drinking, so we can just pretend I slept on the couch."

"Oh, God," he finally said, cradling his head in his hands.

Drinking. Had he been drinking? He certainly didn't remember drinking anything. He _did _remember Kaoru drinking far more than she should have. He remembered saying he would take her home. He remembered... He swallowed. He remembered her telling him that she was in love with him. He remembered her crying on his shoulder. He remembered her telling him that she was happy for him, happy that he was happy.

And he remembered kissing her.

TBC...


	52. Chapter 52: Waking Up, Part III

a/n: Long time no see! There's one more part to this little multi parter after this and then it's all done and on to the next drabble!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Waking Up  
Part III

Kenshin sighed and rubbed at his aching temples. Kaoru had left shortly after she'd gotten dressed, promising to keep her end of the silence. She obviously didn't remember very much about last night. She obviously didn't remember that she'd confessed her love. And she very definitely didn't remember that he'd been absolutely sober last night.

The guilt that he had been unable to find earlier began to sink in. Tomoe. He didn't know how he was going to tell her. Because he _was _going to tell her. He coudn't go through with the wedding. The whole reason he'd started dating Tomoe was to move on. Kaoru was the girl he never thought he could have.

But somewhere along the line, Tomoe had become a part of him. He'd enjoyed her company and she was an excuse to spend less time with Kaoru. Out of sight, out of mind. He'd thought he was over her. So he had proposed. And Tomoe had accepted.

And now... Now everything was different.

He sighed and finished getting dressed. He knew what he had to do. He just didn't know how he was going to do it. He didn't want to hurt Tomoe. He still loved her, he just wasn't _in love _with her. He dragged a hand through his hair and moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth as he thought about what he was going to say.

He didn't think there really was a good way to put it. How exactly does one break an engagement without breaking the other person in the process? It was seeming like an inevitable reality.

He spit in the sink and rinsed. It was time to face reality head on.

* * *

Kaoru swallowed down four ibuprofen and sighed. She hoped it would at least dull her headache if nothing else. She'd been trying to dull the thoughts racing through her head for the last two hours, all without success. She'd slept with Kenshin. Her best friend. The man she'd been in love with forever. And he was engaged. God help her, she was _that _woman. She was the other woman. All of a sudden, she felt sick all over again.

But Tomoe was never going to find out, she quickly reminded herself. She certainly wasn't going to tell the icy woman. And Kenshin obviously wasn't going to tell her. Somehow, that didn't make her feel any better. Kenshin was about to take vows in which he was going to promise to be faithful. Another wave of nausea rolled over her. He'd already broken those vows. Because of her.

She licked her lips and sat down. Her head was spinning. She had to fix this. She had to. She'd make sure that Tomoe never found out. Or maybe she should tell her. Oh jeez, she had no idea what to do. Everything kept circling in her head. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"What to do, what to do..." she mumbled to herself.

Her phone rang and she jumped, the sudden loud noise surprising her. "Hello?"

"Kaoru." Kenshin. Why hadn't she bothered to look at the caller ID? Probably because her brains were so scrambled over everything.

"Hey," she said lamely.

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"Not really. Why?"

"Can you meet me at the cafe?"

She didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure if she was ready to see him again so soon. But then again... "Sure, give me ten minutes."


	53. Chapter 53: Waking Up, Part IV

a/n: Last part! Hope everyone enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Waking Up  
Part IV

Kaoru was a nervous wreck. She swallowed and eyed the door of the cafe, wondering if leaving was an option. She wanted to bolt out that door more than anything right now. She wasn't ready to face Kenshin again. Not by a long shot. Not only was she worried that she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions off her face, but her guilt was practically eating her alive.

She bit her lip and started to stand up just as the door opened. She dropped back into her seat with a heavy sigh when she saw who was walking through the door. Kenshin.

"Kaoru."

She gave him a weak smile and a wave. He returned both and headed towards her. He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

"Hey," she said, nervously wrapping her hands around her coffee cup. "What's up?"

"I talked to Tomoe."

She blinked, unable to process what he'd just said. "You... What?"

"I broke the engagement."

She felt her eyes widen as she stared at his calm face. "Kenshin, why? You _love _Tomoe! You didn't have to do this. I'll talk to Tomoe-san and-"

"Kaoru, stop."

"No, I can fix this. I can." She was desperate. This was not helping her guilt. She'd ruined a relationship, oh God... She fumbled through her bag, searching for her cell phone. She had to talk to Tomoe. She had to explain. She had to.

"Kaoru." Kenshin reached out and stilled her hands as she continued her frantic search. "I don't love Tomoe."

She stopped struggling against his hold and stared at him in wonder. "What the hell are you talking about?" she choked out. "You do so. You have to."

"I don't. And Tomoe knew it. She was going to break the engagement tomorrow. She's been seeing someone else for close to three months," he said gently.

He watched her process the information. Her mouth was hanging open ever so slightly as if she didn't believe what she was hearing. Honestly, he hadn't believed it when he first heard it either. After he'd gotten over the initial shock, he'd been relieved. And Tomoe had been relieved, too. They had parted on good terms, still friends if nothing else.

"I... What?"

He nodded. "She's been having an affair. She was going to tell me everything tomorrow and break the engagement. Turns out neither of us were very happy in our relationship." He gave her a small smile.

"But... I thought you loved her. You kept telling me how happy you were with her," she protested.

He shook his head. "I wasn't, not really. I didn't want you to worry. I was only dating Tomoe to get over someone else anyway."

She gave him a look, her eyebrows furrowing. "What does that even mean?"

He sighed. "Oh, Kaoru. It means I've been in love with you for a very long time."

She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something and then promptly shut it again. She had no idea what to say to that. She didn't even believe that it had come out of his mouth.

He laughed as he watched her. "Last night, you said a lot of things to me. Do you remember anything about last night?"

"We were drunk," she said simply, still in shock.

"No, _you _were drunk. I was not. You told me you loved me last night." He paused, watching the heat rise in her face before continuing. "Did you mean it?"

"Did I mean... Kenshin, I'm not sure I understand. I'm not even sure any of this is really happening." She didn't wait for him to respond, finally addressing his question. "I did mean it. Did you?"

"Of course I meant it. I've loved you for so long." He reached across the table and grasped her hand in his. "I just never thought you felt the same. So when you told me you loved me last night... I knew I was going to break the engagement with Tomoe right then."

"I don't even know what to say. We wasted a lot of time," she said lamely, squeezing his hand in hers.

"But we have a lifetime ahead of us," he replied, standing up and pulling her out of her chair with a smile. "Starting right now."


	54. Chapter 54: Carriage Ride

a/n: Here's another little piece! It will probably have a continuation, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to leave it where it ended here. Hope you all enjoy, drop a review if you're so inclined!

Also wanted to say thank you to Miaka Kiri for pointing out some typos I had! That's what I get for splitting my attention between Netflix and writing... haha

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Carriage Ride

Kaoru smiled slightly, taking in the decorated carriage that was making it's way down the street as she lowered herself to sit down in the tree. It was the King's carriage. Of that, she was certain. His crest was on the side, but that's not what tipped her off. Many of the nobles carried the King's crest on their carriages. So no, it wasn't the crest that made her believe it was the King's vehicle. It was the man riding the horse in the front of the party.

He was doing his best to blend in with the other men, but he stood out from the rest. He had an air of authority about him that seperated him. She wondered if she should be worried. It had been quite a while since she'd had any trouble, but there was a feeling growing in her stomach... She shook it off. This was much too good an opportunity to pass up. So she licked her lips and caressed the hilt of her dagger gently. They would be approaching the blocked road in just a moment.

She watched as the entire party slowed to a stop as they took notice of the fallen tree before them. She watched the man in the front of the party dismount and circle around to the tree. The remaining men in the party followed his lead, leaving their horses in front of the carriage.

_Just a few more seconds..._

With a small leap, she dropped to the floor of the woods, landing in a small crouch. She pulled the hood of her cloak up around her face, tucking her hair in carefully, but quickly. With one last glance at party, she slipped unnoticed to the side of the carriage. She jerked the door open. There was no one inside. Smiling at her good luck, she picked up one of the smaller pouches that were sitting on the floor of the carriage. She didn't have time to inspect everything and the bigger bags would slow her down. So she settled for what she could conceal and made her exit.

She cast a look towards the men, but they still hadn't even turned in her direction. _Some royal guard, _she thought with a smirk. Her thoughts were short lived when she noticed how stiff the front man had become. She had a horrible feeling that he'd realized something was afoot. _Time's up. _She threw her leg up and over one of their abandoned mounts. She dug her heels into the horse and urged it forward.

"Stop! Thief!"

Kenshin mounted his horse with a small smile. He had heard a rumor that there was a highway man working alone and robbing richer carriages in the area. It appeared the reports were accurate. He shouted an order to have his men stay put and then headed after the thief himself. He had the best chance of catching him anyway.

As he took off after the thief, he was surprised by how much distance he had managed to cover in such a short amount of time. He'd underestimated the little thief. He found he was more amused than angered. Perhaps it was because he was gaining ground with every passing second, but he wasn't so sure. He hadn't had a chance to exercise his horse in this fashion in a long time and he was enjoying it.

He shook his head as he caught up to the thief. He was only a few paces behind now and getting closer with every stride. He was a talented horseman, Kenshin would give him that, but not talented enough. He raced up along side him and tried to talk to him first.

"If you return what you've stolen, I'll let you go!"

The highway man turned to look at him, eyes and face shrouded by his cloak. He didn't answer. Kenshin growled and reached for the thief's reins. Clearly talking would get him nowhere in this situation. Once he had the reins in his hand he tried to yank, but the thief held fast and aimed a small kick at his horse. It glanced off, but it was enough to encourage the horse to speed up, forcing Kenshin to let go of the reins lest he be dragged off.

He cursed and shot a glare at his opponent. He was clever. He had underestimated him yet again. With narrowed eyes, he made a decision, as he tugged lightly on the reins to make his mount slow until the two were side by side again. Then, without warning, he launched himself at the other man, pushing him off of the horse and sending both of them crashing to the ground.

Kenshin wasted no time securing him and pulled the cloak back to look upon the thief at last.

"You're a woman!"

a/n: There will be another part! I don't know when, but it will come...


	55. Chapter 55: Carriage Ride, Part II

a/n: Long time no update! I didn't forget about you guys, though. Here's the second part, as promised. Hope you enjoy! Let me know!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Carriage Ride  
Part II

Kaoru used his momentary distraction over her sex to roll away from him and regain her feet. She was ashamed of herself. She was a better horsewoman than that. She should have never let him catch up to her, let alone throw her off!

"Thanks for noticing," she snapped, pulling her hood up once more. It was past time to go. She'd underestimated his ability and determination. It wasn't a mistake that she'd be making again any time soon.

Now that he knew she was a woman, Kenshin couldn't believe he hadn't noticed sooner. Even with her face covered, it did nothing to hide the obvious curves of her body. Maybe it was because she had been riding, but now that he knew, it seemed plain as day to him. He let his eyes wander down her body as she adjusted her garments. He was so concentrated on his perusal that he was startled when she took off into the woods.

"Wait!" Kenshin took off after her, cursing himself for thinking that she'd just let him catch her.

Kaoru wasn't going to let him have the advantage again. She ran towards a tree with a low hanging branch that looked as if it could support her weight. Taking a small leap, she grasped the branch and used her momentum to swing up into the tree. She watched as he slowed down, searching his surroundings. She held her breath for a moment, wondering if he would look up. She cast a small look towards the higher branches. She wasn't sure she could climb up without drawing his attention.

He paused in his movements and closed his eyes. Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand what it was that he was doing. She blinked as she saw a slow smile curling on his lips. Her heart dropped to her stomach. She didn't like the quality of that smile. She pressed herself against the trunk of the tree, wishing she could hide herself more completely as she saw his gaze swing up towards her.

Son of a bitch.

It took her a moment to realize what he had been doing. He was sending out feelers, searching for her life energy. She only knew of a few people who were adept at it. She'd been taught some as a child, but she wasn't as good as she had once been. She'd long since lost her ability to cover her energy, but she hadn't thought too much on it. Hardly anyone in the Kingdom possessed the ability anymore.

"Oh, little bird. You're clever." She bit her lip and looked up once again. She wondered if it would do her any good to try climbing now. Probably not.

"Don't even try," he said softly, eyes catching hers. She blinked at them. How...? His eyes, which had been a burning violet when he'd pulled her off her horse, were now a raging amber. She swallowed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so trapped.

"Come down here." Although his voice was low, she could hear the threat in his voice. Everything in her wanted to rebel, to find an escape, but that voice... She dropped to the ground and glared at him.

Kenshin was mildly surprised when she obeyed his command. He had almost been expecting her to make another run for it, even though it wouldn't have done her any good. He watched as she gazed at him, eyes hard. He wouldn't be giving her another opportunity to escape. He'd already made too many mistakes where she was concerned.

"Now that you're on the ground, perhaps we can talk civilly," he said, taking a step towards her.

She took a step back and glared at him. "Not likely, _my lord._"

He chuckled. "I take it you have no intention of returning what you stole?" She didn't bother to answer, just stared at him. "I'm guessing that means no." He shook his head. "That means we have to do things the hard way."

She licked her lips and took a step back. She had one more trick up her sleeve... but was this worth it? A small frown pulled at her lips. It hadn't been easy to come by, but she'd gotten her hands on some fairy dust. There wasn't a whole lot of it for sale, even on the black market, and she wasn't sure she was ready to part with it quite yet.

"What does the easy way entail?" she asked.

He raised a brow at her. He hadn't been expecting that. "You may keep your spoils... but there is a condition."

"A condition?"

"Yes." He smirked. "Do you agree?"

"What's the condition?"

"What I want... is a kiss."

Kaoru's mouth pulled into a hard line, wondering what the catch was. "What do you get out of this?"

Kenshin chuckled. "Why, I get a kiss, little bird."

She swallowed before slowly nodding. A kiss was a small price to pay for the amount of gold she'd lifted from the carriage. And besides, he was not so terrible to look at. In fact, she thought she may actually enjoy this silly condition of his.

"So you agree to my terms?"

"I do," she answered, taking a small step forward for emphasis.

A wicked smile trembled on his lips as he looked upon his prize. One kiss was all he would need to have a permanent trace on her life energy. She wouldn't be slipping away from him quite as easily as she thought, but she didn't need to know that yet. For now... a kiss would suffice.

With that thought, he let his hands ghost up and around her waist until his hands were firmly pushing her body into his. She came with a small noise of surprise, her mouth parting with the sound. He took advantage of that fact and sealed his lips over hers, letting his tongue slide in to caress hers briefly before retreating. Kaoru's hands fisted in the material of his shirt and her eyes drifted closed. Kenshin gave her bottom lip a soft nip before kissing her gently once more and pulling away completely.

Kaoru blinked as she watched him back away from her. "Until next time, little bird!"

She laughed. "There won't be a next time, my lord!"

Kenshin smirked as she watched her turn and walk away. She may not think there would be a next time, but he knew better. She would find out sooner or later... Most likely the former.

a/n: This is it for this little set, just the two pieces. Something new for next time! Let me know what you thought!


	56. Chapter 56: Lights

a/n: So I had quite a few people ask me to either continue "Carriage Ride," or turn it into it's own story. I'm playing with the idea of making a short story out of it. A lot of you also asked me about Once Upon a Time; what I was actually going for was a Robin Hood kind of thing with Kaoru as Robin. But anyway, I was curious so I did end up watching the first season of Once Upon a Time on Netflix. Seriously engrossing.

Moving on! This piece has nothing to do with the last two. It was inspired by a couple of different things. Ellie Goulding's song, "Lights," and Justin Cronin's novel, "The Passage."

Disclaimer: I don't own RK, Ellie Goulding's song, "Lights," or Justin Cronin's novel, "The Passage." I do love all three, though.

Lights

I was standing outside the gates again. Every night I would find myself staring at them, wishing that I belonged on the other side of them. I swallowed and let my eyes move from the gates up to the bright lights that were keeping me out. Even now I could feel the warmth of them burning through my thin skin.

The lights were always burning, designed to keep me and my kind out. And when the lights failed, they shot us. There was no way in. But the trap lay in the fact that we couldn't stay away. We always wanted to go home, go back to where we once belonged.

Those beyond the gates don't understand. They think we are mindless killing machines, our only goal to ruin their precious little lives. They know nothing of us. Nothing of the pain, the longing, the loneliness... They will never understand.

I envy them. I don't blame them for how they feel. I used to think that way. But that was before I was changed.

I sighed and stepped away from the gates. Much closer and I'd either burn or be noticed. I wasn't sure which would be worse. I backed away into the shadows so I had cover, but could still see the gates. And the guards patrolling them. I knew their names. I knew their quirks and I knew what made them smile. I knew them.

The thought clogged my throat. They'd kill me without a thought now. It saddened me. The tears were nothing new. They came nightly. They flowed more freely when I saw him. And he was always there, walking back and forth as his eyes swept the grounds surrounding the compound.

And every night I anxiously waited for his eyes to meet mine. But they never did. His eyes never even saw me, hidden in the dark as I was. I smiled sadly as I saw him make his rounds. He hadn't changed, not to me. He would always be my world.

I was the only one who had changed. I shook my head and tried to force my eyes away. It would do me no good to stare at what I couldn't ever have. He could have been mine once. But not anymore. Not now. I don't think he would even recognize me anymore. I shook my head and took a hesitant step forward before stopping.

What was I doing? I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Moving into the lights would do me no good. I already knew that. But I wanted to see him again. I wanted him to see me. I _needed _him to see me. I licked my lips and let my eyes drift upwards once more. He had paced a bit since I'd last looked, but he was still facing the night, his eyes keeping a constant vigil.

I hadn't realized that I'd been moving forward again until I felt the heat of the lights once more. I knew I should stop. I knew what would happen if I kept moving closer. I'd seen the effects the lights had had on the others. But I was driven by more than a desire to return. I was driven by _love._

And in that moment, something amazing happened. His violet eyes finally saw me. I registered the shock in their depths as he slowly lowered his weapon. It was as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. For the first time since I'd been changed, I smiled.

And I kept walking.

Owari

a/n: Before anyone goes and asks, this one is absolutely closed. No chance of continuing as I'm fresh out of ideas as far as this one goes. But anyhoo, go ahead and leave a review to let me know what you thought. Thanks!


	57. Chapter 57: Tonight

a/n: Here's another random piece. It's completely unrelated to the last piece. Hope you enjoy it, drop a review and let me know!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Tonight

She was pacing back and forth in front of her phone. She wanted so badly for it to ring. And she wanted so badly for it to be him. She wanted so badly for him to be as lonely in this moment in time as she was. She bit her lip and fought down the curse. The phone wasn't going to ring. She knew that. He only called when he had hit a rough patch, which wasn't very often.

She sighed and dropped into the chair beside the phone. She stared at it for a few seconds before picking up the receiver and running her fingers over the buttons. She dropped the phone back onto the cradle and lifting her eyes to the ceiling as if it were going to offer her the guidance she needed.

She shook her head and picked the phone up again. She was being silly. She just had to take what she wanted. And she wanted him. The way she'd always wanted him. She licked her lips and dialed.

xXxXxXxXxXx

It was so easy to fall into his arms. So familiar. She let the sensations take over as his lips covered hers in a soft caress. A caress that seemed to say, _I miss you._ If only. She pushed the unwanted thoughts away and kissed him back, bringing a hand up to his cheek. It was still as smooth as she remembered it to be.

His arms fell around her waist and she completely melted. This was where she felt best. This was where she belonged, for a few hours at least. Until the sun came up and reminded her of who she was and where she really belonged. Her hands eased up from his cheeks to tangle in his hair. She clenched a little harder than necessary, unwilling to let go.

He answered accordingly and gripped her hips a little tighter before easing up and trailing his mouth down from her lips to her neck. She sighed and tilted her head back to give him better access. She was so attuned to his every movement. She could almost move before he did. They'd loved for so long... She closed her eyes to lock the sensations in, refusing to ruin the moment with her thoughts about what used to be.

"Oh, Kaoru," he murmured as he guided them back towards the bed.

She smiled and eased out of his arms and tumbled back onto the bed, just like she used to. It all felt the same. The mattress. The sheets. Oh, they were new to be sure, but he'd slept in them. They smelled like him. She inhaled the scent before turning her gaze back to him. She sat up and reached out for him.

He shook his head with memory and followed her down onto the bed. She leaned back and let him lay over her. His nose brushed hers lightly before he lowered his lips to hers. She sighed into the kiss and twisted her fingers into the fabric of his shirt for a moment before pulling on it, trying to get her desire across. She wanted the shirt gone.

He pulled back and tugged the shirt over his head before turning his attention to her shirt. She helped him lift it up and off of her. She let her hands roam over his newly revealed flesh, eager to reacquaint her body with his. She skimmed her lips over his collar bone and gave it a little love nip.

She lost track of his hands when his mouth started teasing the edges of her bra. His tongue dipped under the fabric and she flexed her hands against his shoulders. And then the pressure around her breasts was gone, her bra sliding down her arms. He pulled it the rest of the way off, leaving her naked from the waist up.

He ghosted his hands over her breasts and she arched her back, trying to force his hands into touching her. He laughed softly and continued on his original path, dragging his hands down her stomach with light, teasing caresses before settling on the button of her jeans. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled the zipper down slowly, the noise echoing in her ears with a quiet promise of what was to come.

"Kenshin," she breathed, "now." She lifted her hips and he tugged her jeans down her legs. He dropped them on the floor with a dull thud and met her hands at the edge of her panties. She licked her lips and started push them off.

He shook his head and backed off, unbuttoning his pants first. Kaoru swallowed, her eyes taking in his familiar form. He kicked his pants off before rejoining her on the bed once more.

XxXxXxXxXx

She felt like she was swimming up through a warm, comfortable haze. She hadn't woken up this comfortable in... in a very long time. She sighed, refusing to open her eyes. There was only one place that inspired this kind of peace in her. Only one person. She slowly gave in and let her eyes drift open and take in her surroundings.

She exhaled and looked to her left. She knew he would be right where she expected him to be. And he was. He was still asleep, but that was okay. It was always easier when he wasn't awake. That way she didn't have to feel the burn of his gaze on her when she put her clothes back on and made herself leave. She wasn't foolish enough to try and stay.

With a small sigh, she carefully maneuvered herself out of the bed, doing her best not to jostle him. He mumbled a little, but curled into the pillow that she'd just abandoned. She let out the breath she had been holding and started picking up the clothing that was piled around the floor. Not wanting to take any chances, she ducked out of the room and headed towards the bathroom to get dressed.

Once inside she pulled on her clothes quickly. Once she was dressed, she took several deep breaths and looked at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was still dark around her eyes, messy from having slept before removing it. Her hair wasn't nearly as unkempt as she'd feared, but it could still do with a brushing. She opened the third drawer from the top as quietly as she could and took out the brush. She ran it through her hair before dropping it back where it belonged.

She bit her lip and looked at herself again. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do. She'd already taken too much time as it was. Every second was like a ticking time bomb; he could wake at any moment. And then she would have to deal with the good-bye again. She hated that. So she slipped out of the bathroom and found her bag sitting on the kitchen counter. She slung it over her shoulder and walked out the door.

_Until next time..._


	58. Chapter 58: Beast

a/n: Okay, this is something a little different. It's supernatural and kind of reminds me of something that I wrote earlier on in this fic, but a little edgier. At least, I like to think so. It was inspired by the song "Howl" by Florence and the Machine. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Beast

As I stared at him from across the room, I tried to even out my breathing. It had been years since I'd felt my control begin to crack beneath my hold. I swallowed and looked away. I could feel the heat rising in me and I fought to push it back down. It wasn't easy. It had been at least a week since I'd satisfied the beast within me and that wasn't nearly enough to hold her at bay tonight.

If I wasn't on assignment, I would have gotten out of there as fast as I could. Men like him were dangerous. They filled my head with all manner of inappropriate thoughts. Thoughts that made my body tremble and sing with power. She was burning in my blood, desperate to come free at the merest hint of sexual thoughts. I shoved her back down again.

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could still feel him. He wasn't as far away as he had been. He'd moved closer. Of course, this was a crowded bar, so that didn't mean much. Sighing, I shook my head. I should have been looking for my target. Instead, I was dwelling on the tugs of my desire. As he moved ever closer, it throbbed harder.

I swallowed and started to ease towards the door. I didn't want to abandon my duty, but I would if I had to. As I felt him coming closer, I could feel her restlessness. He was standing behind me now and I could hear his voice as he talked to someone. It was sinful. I felt her shivering within me, anticipation swelling within her. She wanted _out_. And I wanted to let her out. For as separate as we were, we were also one. Entwined forever, our desires sang a duet through my blood.

He wasn't behind me anymore. He'd worked his way around me and was standing some fifty odd feet away in front of me. He had long, fiery hair that was tied in a high ponytail. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes gave him away; those amber eyes were alert and focused. He looked as if he was hunting.

I licked my lips unconsciously, wondering if he tasted as good as he looked.

_I bet he does..._

He turned and looked at me. Fire raced through my veins, heat pooling at the base of my spine. I should have walked away again. I should have ran as fast as I could. I should have worked to double by blocks and control wards. Instead, to my shame, I let them fall around me. I felt the full force of his own desire hit me as his eyes caught mine. I didn't even try to prevent the magic from seeping out. It was pulling him in, luring him into my trap...

_Not a trap..._

The smile that slid across my lips was predatory and I hated myself for it. I'd fought so hard to subdue my nature and use it to my advantage. I was stronger than this. I didn't prey on unwilling victims any longer. I bit my lip and tried to tear my gaze away, to break the magic, even as I knew it was far too late for such an effort.

In a last ditch attempt, I tried to zero in on my original target. I should have known that he'd make an escape in my distraction. Guilt burned through me as I realized that I scarcely cared; in fact, I was happy. Happy that my victim had gotten away and given me the opportunity to chase more interesting and tantalizing prey.

There was just something about him...

I felt the beast shudder and _push_ against me, willing me to free her. She had already come so close to melding with my consciousness. I pushed back against her, not willing to give up quite yet. I knew how this evening would end as well as she did. She would have her way. It wouldn't be long before I was unable to fight my nature anymore.

It only took a few more seconds before he was standing right in front of me. A smirk danced on his lips, forcing my eyes to devour them, thinking about how much I'd like to tug upon that full bottom lip with my teeth...

"Sano says your name is Kaoru."

Sano. He owned the bar and let me do my hunting freely as long as I didn't disrupt the flow of things. It was a bar that allowed cover for Others that were traveling through or needed to find some kind of contact among others of their kind. He also enjoyed meddling in my work.

"Yes." As the word slipped out of my mouth, I knew what would happen. It was far huskier than I'd ever intended and I realized that she'd managed to ease into my consciousness like an old friend. Or lover, rather. I pushed her down once again.

"He told me what you are." He paused, letting me think on those words. And think on them, I did. Sano didn't often offer up my kind to his customers. In fact, he steered them clear of me if he gave a damn about them. It made me wonder. Sometimes, rarely, if another of my kind passed through, he'd pass along my name to them.

I wondered if Kenshin was another of my kind. If not, perhaps a relatively close variation. A half-breed, maybe. He was certainly giving off the right kind of energy for it.

"Oh?" She was pulling out all the stops, I thought, as I felt the extra pull on the magic reserves. We had never wanted someone as much as we wanted him.

"Yes. I am also two natured." He licked his lips and looked at me, his eyes drawing me in. "I'm a changeling."

A changeling. That explained everything. It also erased the need for my control. As a changeling, he was of my nature. He had a beast in him that craved sexual encounters with an intensity that was unbearable when ignored. I would know. I was born as such. However, he had not been born to it. He had been thrust into it by a greedy and careless _venerem venatrix_.

I felt the last restraints on my control crumble. She rejoiced as I stopped fighting her and willingly let her seep back into my conscience. I watched with hooded lids as he looked me up and down. Before I knew what I was doing, my hand was running down the front of him.

"How long?" I asked softly, my hand falling to his hips, my index finger hanging off the edge of his pants.

"Six months," he breathed harshly. This close, I could feel his beast calling to mine.

"A mere baby," I purred, tugging on his belt gently. "Name?"

"Kenshin," he murmured, his hands gripping my hips. I had been so absorbed in my own intentions that I missed his. I chided myself. Changeling or not, I should be able to keep better track of his actions.

"Kenshin." I liked the feel of it on my lips. I let go of his belt and let my hand drop a little lower. I heard his breath hitch in response. "Would you like to learn a thing or two?"

"Yes." The word was all but groaned into my ear and I smiled. I would take this little changeling under my wing and we would both be all the more satisfied for it.

As he tugged me towards the door, I felt my smile take a turn for the wicked. Oh yes, this little changeling would be worth every second of my time. I planned on teaching him everything I knew. And when I was done... I just may not give him up.

a/n: Well, what did you think? Let me know!


	59. Chapter 59: Pregnancy Test

a/n: So before I ramble a bit about this piece (because there is a ramble for it haha), I just want to address all the confusion I've been getting lately about some of the shots in this fic. I know a lot of you request additions to certain chapters, and some of them I'll feel compelled to continue, but some of them I won't. Most of these are meant to be stand alone pieces. I like to leave open endings and let the readers decide what happens after the story closes. So for everyone who was asking about Chapter 57, "Tonight," it will NOT have a continuation, I'm sorry. The situation is up for your interpretation, something that I enjoy doing in my writing. I don't want to discourage you from asking for continuations, just to understand that some of them I've purposely ended at that point. I'm really sorry about all the confusion!

Anyway! This is another stand alone piece and was actually inspired by the fact that I have indeed gone and done this for some of my friends before. So I thought, "Why not turn this into an awkward situation that ends better than expected?" So I did! Hope you guys enjoy, let me know! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own RK

Pregnancy Test

It was just one of those things that best friends did for one another. Kaoru considered herself to be a pretty damn good friend, so she hadn't argued when Misao had come to her in tears with the request. The poor girl was hysterical, her words hard to distinguish. Eventually she'd calmed down enough to make her question understandable. After a few moments of staring, she had agreed without question. Especially since Misao was making to have another bout of waterworks.

Damn tears.

And that was how Kaoru now found herself staring at a long aisle full of pregnancy tests, wondering which one she should get. She didn't want to get a ridiculously expensive one, but she didn't want an unreliable cheap one, either. Misao deserved better than that. She sighed and picked up a box, reading the back.

It boasted about how it could detect pregnancy up to five days before your missed period and it's ninety-nine percent accuracy. She bit her lip and considered it. Did it really matter? They all did the same thing...

She was about to put it back and call Misao when someone walked right into her. The box fell out of her hand and she stumbled, barely catching her balance with the help of the stranger's hand on her arm. She turned to give them an earful, but the words died on her tongue when she saw who it was.

"Kaoru! I'm so sorry, I was trying to text Sano and I didn't see you..." Kenshin's words trailed off and he offered her a sheepish smile.

"It's okay, I'm fine." She smiled and flushed a little.

Kenshin lived in the same apartment complex as her and was friends with her cousin's boyfriend. As a result, they'd been thrown into many of the same parties and get togethers over the last year or so. It had given her more than enough opportunity to grow rather fond of him, despite his seeming lack of romantic interest.

"Oh, here, you dropped your..." He didn't finish his sentence as he picked up the box.

Kaoru could have died on the spot. _Damn you, Misao! _She fought to find something to say that didn't sound ridiculous or give Misao away. She did _not _want Kenshin to think she was pregnant! She had been hoping that she could work up to nerve to ask him to have coffee with her or something else remotely date like and if he thought that someone had gone and knocked her up... Oh God! Mortification overtook her and her mouth.

"It's not mine! A friend of mine..." She knew how it sounded. _I have this friend who's two weeks late and she thinks she may be pregnant... _

"It's okay, Kaoru. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to," he promised solemnly, his violet eyes searching hers.

"Kenshin." She met his stare full on, determined to make him see. "I'm serious. It's not mine. It's for Misao. She was too embarrassed to come herself, so I told her I'd pick one up for her." She felt bad, spilling what she'd promised to keep quiet. "Please don't tell anyone, she will seriously kill me," she added, biting down on her bottom lip.

Kenshin gave a small sigh of relief, trying not to make it obvious. Kaoru was an attractive girl and he tried to make sure that there wasn't anyone he wasn't aware of hanging around her, but for a moment, he thought someone had slipped through the cracks of his awareness. She was an adult and could do as she pleased, but he had every intention of making her his and someone else would complicate his plans. When he'd picked up that box, he'd felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"I won't tell anyone," he repeated, happy to do so now that he knew it wasn't her secret he'd be keeping.

"Thank you," she breathed, giving him a smile. "So, um, I'll see you at Megumi's Christmas party next week, right?"

"Yes, I'll most definitely be there." He paused for a second before giving in to an idea. "Are you going with anyone?"

Her brows furrowed. "No, of course not." She laughed a little. "Why?"

"Would you like to go with me? I mean, I-"

"Like a date?" she interrupted him mid stream; she didn't dare hope.

"Yes," he said slowly. "A date."

She fought the urge to throw herself in his arms and hug him. Instead, she smiled shyly at him and told him that she'd like nothing more. On her way past him, she leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek to emphasize her words. "I'm looking forward to it, Kenshin," she whispered.

She left him standing in the aisle as she took the test up to the counter. As the cashier rang her out, she reluctantly admitted to herself that she just may owe Misao a thank you for sending her on this errand.

Owari


End file.
